


August 21st

by iL0Vsuperman



Series: Days of August [2]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Deadpool - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, And they all Lived Fluffy-Ever After, Aunt May Is Awesome, Bad Flirting, Birthday Fluff, Coming Out, Deadpool reads too much Fanfiction, Dubious Science, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Family Issues, First Dates, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Near Death Experiences, One Big Happy Family, Paparazzi, Parent-Child Relationship, Possessive Venom, Protective Parents, Public Reaction, Science, Sexual Content, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Surprise Ceremony, Venom doesn’t go down without a fight, Violence, Wade Wilson Breaking the Fourth Wall, Wade Wilson Needs A Hug, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:21:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 113,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iL0Vsuperman/pseuds/iL0Vsuperman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What if we came out to the press and told the world you were my son?”</p><p>Peter immediately looked away from him but Tony was still able to catch the flicker of fear in his eyes. </p><p>“…It’s different, Dad,” Peter murmured.  </p><p>Peter’s reply was sobering. Tony tried not to let the hurt show. Peter valued his privacy but Tony was a very outgoing and open person. Part of the reason he wanted to marry Steve was so he could show everyone, the world, how much he loved that man…with Peter he’d never get that chance. It hurt having to confine himself in such a way, but he’ll continue to do it. He loved his son and, even though he couldn’t yell it from the top of his lungs in the middle of Times Square, Tony would continue to follow Peter’s wishes.</p><p>What he wasn't expecting was Peter's identity as his son being inadvertently revealed to the media...nor how frantically Peter would react...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friday, August 5th

**Author's Note:**

> I will be adding in tags as the fic grows so more tags, characters, and relationships will appear as the story progresses. 
> 
> Enjoy the story! :)

Tony was holding an internal debate inside his head.

What was harder?: (1) reaching out to his son, who didn’t even know he was related to Tony nonetheless his only child, and revealing everything he once knew about his family was a lie, or (2) proposing to Steve and convincing him it was finally time to come out of the closet to the rest of the world.

He asked Friday which option was harder, like the answer would somehow make things easier.

“Telling Master Parker the truth may have been hard, but you were rewarded with a lasting relationship in the end,” she rationalized.

 _Which was rational_. Jarvis would have probably been a little more sarcastic in the retort but Tony knew if he asked Vision that the android’s reply would be just as rational and would do nothing to distract Tony from his nerves.

He’d gone over countless scenarios on how to ask Steve and watched at least 300 surprise proposals on YouTube to psych himself up for it and maybe garner a few ideas. But, in the end, he couldn’t help but wonder if Steve was ready. What if he wasn’t ready to escape the safety of simply being boyfriends?

He knew Steve loved him and was already committed to him for life. But getting married meant their relationship would then be public record. There was no escaping the media backlash. Steve hated too much attention. If he had a choice, he’d want to live like an average guy and be able to go down the street without being swarmed by reporters. At the moment, the media left him alone in favor of chasing down more interesting or violent superheroes. Steve liked going to the corner bakery or the supermarket. He was enough of a regular there that the no one bothered him other than the occasional fan that bumped into him and asked for an autograph…but if they came out, Steve wouldn’t be able to do that anymore.

And Tony had no way of knowing how long the media would drag out their obsession of their relationship. If they became the “It” couple then they could be in the spotlight for _years_.

All of this worry was what led to Tony debating whether his past dilemma with Peter or his current dilemma with Steve was harder because he liked distractions that made him contemplate and put off things for a really, really long time.

It only took him 19 years to reach out to Peter. He’d probably propose to Steve in half the time. So 9.5 years. Reasonable. Though not a round, even number. So he better make that ten years.

The lab door opened and Tony eagerly spun around, desperate to escape his musings.

Peter stepped in, wearing the boring Stark Science Division Intern lab coat and the round glasses that made his eyes look twice as big. Peter smiled at Tony and greeted, “Hi, Dad!”

Tony grinned and all of his anxieties seemed to melt away. Peter came to the Tower a few times a week as an intern for his company. He was amazing at it, a genius like his father _obviously,_ but they also used it as a front so it wouldn’t seem odd for Peter to be in the building so much.

Only the Avengers, Pepper, Happy, and May Parker knew about his connection with Peter. To the rest of the world, they were only connected by the Avengers’ Tower. No one knew Peter was his son.

It was bittersweet. On the one hand, Peter had so much more freedom awarded to him without the connection. But, on the other, Tony couldn’t gush about his son and it was extremely smothering for a man who was so open about himself with everyone.

But he gladly keep the pretense up if it meant his son was happy and, when Peter smiled at him, all of his worries disappeared. He stopped his pacing and said, “Hey, Pete.”

Peter crooked an eyebrow at him and murmured, “What’d you do?”

“Nothing,” Tony moaned. They’d only known each other less than two years but his son already knew him too well. Peter knew something was bothering him. He explained, “It’s something I haven’t done just yet…”

Tony tossed Peter the ring case and his son caught it. He looked at what he caught and his eyes widened. He quickly opened it and gasped, “Woah…How are you going to do it?”

“First, I’ll go back to pacing,” Tony replied and went back to the said activity. “And then your guess is as good as mine.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I can’t believe you don’t have an elaborate proposal planned out already!” Peter countered.

“The proposal isn’t what is freaking me out,” Tony countered. “I am worried about what marrying me will do to Steve.”

“Make him extremely happy?” Peter countered.

“Marrying me will change how everyone perceives him…and take away what little privacy he has left…”

Tony was the face of the Avengers. He was the one the media went to with questions or scandals. Steve would probably be dragged into it through their tie of marriage…

No more walking down the street. No more corner bakery. No more supermarket trips.

“Maybe you should ask him how he feels about it?” Peter countered, “He’s done press junkits before and is used to dealing with the paparazzi. It might get worse but I think he could handle it.”

“How would you feel?” Tony asked. His son also valued his privacy.

“Steve and I are coming from two very different situations,” Peter countered. “His identity as Captain America was never really much of a secret.”

“No…I’m talking about your connection to me. _You_. Peter Parker,” Tony replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “What if we came out to the press and told the world you were my son?”

Peter immediately looked away from him but Tony was still able to catch the flicker of fear in his eyes.

“…It’s different, Dad,” Peter murmured.  

Peter’s reply was sobering. Tony tried not to let the hurt show. Peter valued his privacy but Tony was a very outgoing and open person. Part of the reason he wanted to marry Steve was so he could show everyone, the world, how much he loved that man…with Peter he’d never get that chance. It hurt having to confine himself in such a way, but he’ll continue to do it. He loved his son and, even though he couldn’t yell it from the top of his lungs in the middle of Times Square, Tony would continue to follow Peter’s wishes.

Tony grasped his shoulder and murmured, “I know…And I’m just worried that Steve may feel as you do on the inside…”

Peter raised his gaze and smiled reassuringly at Tony. He replied, “No, it won’t even faze him.”

\---

Tony had come up with a number of ways to propose (He watched all of those YouTube videos remember?). But he needed a way to propose that was innately _Tony and Steve_. And he knew his boyfriend wouldn't like an elaborate surprise. He'd want something simple and private but something they could look back on and smile about later in their lives…

Which was why he shooed Peter out of his lab and snapped on some welding goggles and told Friday to call over Steve.

His heart was beating like crazy and his hands were shaking too much to properly weld _anything_. But he held the equipment either way to look like he was working when Steve came in.

“Hey, babe, what’s going on?” Steve asked, strolling into the lab. Steve’s fingers traced over Tony’s equipment, caressing it without disrupting any of the sensitive materials as he approached Tony. Steve knew enough about Tony’s projects how to touch them in the right way. Tony watched his fingers and shivered with their progress. After all of these years, even the little things Steve did made him want him more. He hoped he wasn’t going to screw this up.

“Hello, my beloved,” Tony replied, sitting up and smiling dopily at Steve.

Steve smiled with Tony’s use of his favorite pet name and crossed the last leg of the room to place himself in front of Tony. He grasped the goggles on Tony’s face and lifted them up and over his face.

“There you are,” Steve murmured, taking off his goggles entirely. “Friday said you wanted me?”

“Yes…” And there goes his heart rate. Right back to super speed. Tony cleared his throat and grasped Steve’s hands. He murmured, “I wanted to celebrate our 5 year, 3-month anniversary.”

Steve laughed and leaned into Tony’s embrace, pressing his hips into Tony’s chest. Tony wrapped his arms around Steve's hips and Steve teasingly asked, “What do you want to do on such a momentous occasion as our 5 year, 3-month anniversary?”

Tony’s heart leapt into his throat. This was it. He instantly felt tongue-tied. 

He cleared his throat again and Steve leaned back to better peer curiously at Tony.

“So…” Tony dragged out the word. He cleared his throat again and Steve’s eyebrow rose in question. Yeah, Tony was acting weird. He quickly continued, “I was thinking…” He kept one of his hands in Steve’s and then knelt down and reached under the worktable. He pulled out the box with the ring in it, it was a plain metal box he made after he made the ring. It did not look like the usual velvet ring box so Steve looked at it questionably. He was still kneeling as he held up the box and said, “For our 5 year, 3-month anniversary, I wanted…I was wondering, if you wanted to tie the knot?”

Steve blinked and then his eyes grew larger. His hand tightened on Tony’s and his gaze shot to the ring box and then back to Tony. Gravity seemed to overtake Steve and fell to his knees in front of Tony.

Tony wasn’t expecting Steve to fall to his level nor was he expecting the intense kiss Steve gave him in response.

Steve pressed his body into Tony’s and his tongue speared itself into his mouth. Tony was so shocked that he didn't respond. Steve broke the kiss and Tony gasped, “I guess that's a yes?”

Steve smiled widely, his eyes crinkling from his elation, and he replied, “Yes, yes, yes, I will marry you, you big doofus!” He kissed Tony tenderly and then mumbled against his lips, “I love you so much, _of_ _course_ I'll marry you.”

Tony's heart swelled and he cupped Steve’s jaw to press another kiss into his mouth. But that nervousness came back and Tony paused. He dropped his gaze and stayed uneasily, “We’ll have to come out if we want to be legally married.”

Steve stiffened for just a second but then relaxed. He pinched Tony's chin and made him raise his gaze. When their eyes met, he stated, “I think I’ve been in the closet long enough, don't you?”

All of his fears and trepidations melted away and Tony smiled so widely at his boyfriend - _no, scratch that_ \- his fiancé, he smiled so widely that his smile speared from cheek to cheek.

Steve leaned down and carded his fingers into Tony's hair as he kissed him again, this time more tenderly. Without any fears eating away at him, Tony returned the kiss wholeheartedly.

\---

Later that night, Peter was just getting out of the shower when his phone began to ring. By the ringtone, he knew it was a video message and Peter grinned when he answered it and saw his dad and Steve come onto the screen. Peter adjusted his towel and sat down on his bed.

“Hey, guys!” Peter greeted.

Steve’s arm was lying on his dad’s shoulders and both of them were smiling ecstatically. His dad waved at the camera and said, “Hey, Pete! I just wanted you to be the first to know! He said yes! Now say hello to your new step-father!”

“Hi, Peter!” Steve said, “You can keep calling me Steve or whatever else you want.”

“Call him Pops!” Tony interceded.

“Pops?” Peter asked, looking at Steve.

“Tony says it suits me,” Steve replied dryly.

“Alright, _Pops_ ,” Peter said to Steve, “I’ll try it out.”

Steve laughed and said, “Either way, we also wanted to give you a heads up about our upcoming nuptials.”

“We decided we are not going to wait long,” Tony said.

“Nope, short engagement,” Steve said, giving him a half hug.

“We’re going to come out and get married all in one night,” Tony said. “…Actually, we’re planning to do it in two days. We wanted to do it tomorrow but Pepper would kill us if we gave her such short notice!”

“Seriously?” Peter asked. “So soon?”

“We’re ready,” Steve stated, his eyes were figuratively shining with his outright joy.

A pulse of jealousy ran through Peter. Steve was getting more of Tony than Peter would ever have and he was slightly jealous by the fact that they would finally be able to be themselves out in the public…but that feeling came and then left.

Peter loved his father but he also loved his life. He didn’t want to change it, even if it meant he couldn’t do something as simple as getting an afternoon coffee with his dad.

And, at that moment, he was so happy for him and Steve. He knew they were perfect for each other.

“What about the fair?” Peter asked, it was currently Friday night. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the Stark Tower Employee Fair. His dad threw it twice a year, thanking his employees for their hard work ethic and tolerance of Avenger related incidences which occur at the Tower more often than not. Tony and the rest of the team went to _every_ fair. The employees and their kids loved to see them. Sunday night was always their biggest night. Were they going to bail out on it in order to get married?

Tony laughed and said, “Well, we figured since we were throwing a big party already…”

“And everyone we loved would be there, including you,” Steve said, pointedly to Peter.

“We thought we’d surprise everyone at the fair,” Tony said.

“It’ll be a surprise alright,” Peter replied sarcastically.

And what a night of surprises it was going to be….


	2. Saturday, August 6th

Tony cuddled into his fiancé’s side watching Pepper as she wildly worked her magic. She had one phone up to her ear, another in her hand, and her other hand was hurriedly writing down something.

“…We need to help,” Steve whispered, watching Pepper worriedly.

“Do not get in her way or she will bite you. She will bark orders at us in a minute. Give her time,” Tony stated. He was used to the drill. Hurricane Pepper was a Category Five and she only just hit the coast at this point.

“Boys!” Pepper suddenly turned to them, making both of them jump in their skins. She held out the paper she was writing on and stated, “This is a list of additional people we’ll invite to the fair for your wedding. Approve it and add in suggestions.”

Tony took the list and Pepper turned away, still deep into an argument with the head of the New York Philharmonic on her cell phone.

Many on the list were their friends, agents of SHIELD, and noted figures in the superhero community.

“I’m good with all of these, how about you?” Tony said.

“It looks perfect, Pepper thought of everyone,” Steve replied with a smile.

Tony held out the paper to Pepper and stated, “Perfect as always, my dear.”

Pepper snatched back the paper and put her hand over the mouthpiece on her phone. She put the paper on the desk and stated, “Friday, scan the names and send out the electronic invitations.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“See, she’s got this. Pep has everything under control.”

\---

“About time,” Logan grumbled, reading the invitation on his phone.

“What?”

Logan glanced up from his phone to the man he was just sparring with.

Deadpool was one of the few people whom he could fight at full strength without having to worry about hurting or killing. In the lull of any type of quarrel with the X-Men or Avengers, he would call the mercenary up to go a few rounds.

They were currently taking a break from their sparring to let themselves heal.

Just a few minutes ago, Logan had two katanas skewering him and Wade was gutted. The madman had finally stopped making bowties with his own intestines and shoved them back inside him. He was holding his belly with both hands to keep his insides from falling out as his skin knitted itself together.

Logan smirked at the other mutant. The invitation said to not speak a word of it, even to whoever he chose to be his plus one.

Wade happened to be the biggest Avenger fanboy he’d ever known and he knew he would flip if he missed this.

“How would you like to go with me to the Stark Employee Expo?”

Deadpool threw back his head and laughed. Logan waited for the man to stop, watching him with a dry expression.

“Wait…You’re serious?” Wade gasped.

The white eyes of Wade’s mask narrowed. He’d always wanted to ask how Wade did that but he also felt like it was an answer he did not want to know. Wade suspiciously stated, “You may be an Avenger BUT you’re not a Stark employee and it is impossible to break into the fair. I know, I’ve tried. Stark hires the best security every year to protect his people.”

Logan held up his phone and stated, “I just got a special invite for a special event and I can bring a plus one.”

Deadpool froze and seemed to stop breathing. Suddenly, he surged forward and grabbed Logan's uniform. Shaking him, Wade gasped, melodramatically, “BRING ME!”

Logan knocked his friend off him and retorted, “Hold your insides in! You got an in, bub!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter tonight but tomorrow y'all will get a mega chapter and a new relationship tag. I wonder who it could be? :D


	3. Sunday, August 7th

Peter hadn’t been to the other fairs as his life as Spider-Man had gotten in the way, but this year was different. There was no way he was going to miss his dad and Steve tie the knot like this!

It seemed like _everyone_ in New York was invited. It was so crowded, Peter felt like he was at the beach on the first weekend of summer. His dad had rented the convention center to throw the party and the building was so large Peter could barely see the other side but, somehow, it was packed. He knew everyone who worked in the Tower was invited and then some but…this was crazy.

He’d arrived around the same time as one of his fellow interns, Eddie Brock, and he took one look at the gathered crowd and announced, “Okay, this is _way_ more insane than yesterday.”

“Probably has to do with the extra superheroes,” Peter murmured nonchalantly. His dad sent out a lot of last minute invitations to prominent figures in the superhero community. It didn't go unnoticed so those who originally weren't going to go on Sunday suddenly found themselves a perfect reason to go. No one questioned his dad’s motives. They just assumed Tony Stark was making one of his wild parties even more wild.

 “Want to find the others?” Eddie asked, referring to the other interns who had also gotten invites. There were six of them in all and none of them were used to this style of party.

“I will find you guys later…I am actually going to meet up with someone,” Peter replied apologetically.

Eddie grinned slyly and asked, “Ohhhh, finally have a girl in your life now, Parker?”

“It’s not like that,” Peter replied with an eye roll. He lightly pushed Eddie in the arm and said, “Smell you later.”

“Right back at you, Parker!” He slipped through the crowd and disappeared into the masses. Once he was sure he was out of Eddie’s sight, Peter slipped the communication bud into his ear and turned it on.

“Guess who’s made it to the party,” Peter announced in a light voice to not draw attention to himself.

“About damn time!” His dad replied immediately, drawing a smile to Peter’s face. “I was thinking Steve and I were going to be getting married by the time you got here!”

“Thanks for coming, Peter,” Steve intervened.

“Hey, kid!” Clint called, “There are pool tables in the lounge on the second floor. You and me. Mano y mano after the big event. Winner will be King of the Tower.”

“You’re on,” Peter replied. He was the only one on the team who could be on par with Clint’s skills at taking aim, it was another Spidey ability he abused with games like pool. “King of the Tower” was a thing they shared to test each other’s abilities.

The other Avengers called out quick greetings but, once they all had their say, his dad butted in and announced, “Pete, you should conveniently join us. Friday can direct you to our location.”

“Will it be private?” Peter asked, remembering all the cameras and camera phones he’d seen since entering the building. It would be strange for a lone intern to be suddenly seen hanging out with the Avengers.

“Just for you kid, come on!” His dad urged and Peter could not say no.

Friday led him via the communicator. He cut through crowds of people who didn’t give him a second glance.

The VIP section was roped off and the entrance to the private room was guarded by two big burly men. Peter walked straight up to the door and they immediately blocked his way.

“Woah, there. Only people on the list can enter,” the beefier of the two stated. Neither had a clipboard so whatever list they were talking about was nowhere in sight.

“I _better_ be on the list,” Peter said with a laugh. If not, his dad was going to get an earful from him.

The door opened and his dad poked his head out. He smiled as soon as his eyes landed on him. Tony’s unconditional love still made Peter’s stomach bubble happily even after all of these years. It was a father’s love, something that had already been stolen from him twice before with Richard and Ben Parker’s early deaths, making it doubly precious to Peter now.

“Pete!” Tony gasped, “Come in, come in!”

Peter grinned at the gaping henchmen and slipped past them.

Only once Tony closed the door behind them, did Peter launch himself at his father and give him a big hug. In the embrace, he murmured, “Congratulations, Dad.”

Tony’s hold on him tightened and he whispered, “Thanks, buddy.”

As they pulled apart, Steve stepped up and Peter hugged his soon to be step-father. He teased, “Congrats, _Pops_! You can pull out at any time and everyone would understand.”

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, affronted. “Traitor!”

Peter and Steve laughed and the small family turned to the rest of the gathered party in the room. Peter greeted the gathered Avengers and Pepper. His dad was glued to his side and shared in all the conversations Peter had with his teammates and extended family.

“We can only stay a few minutes,” his dad eventually murmured apologetically. “We’ve got to get into position and secret in the priest from Steve’s church. Got to be very hush, hush. It’s going to take forever. And being secretive means I have to be quiet,” Tony moaned the last bit.  

“I can’t imagine why?” Peter replied sarcastically. They grinned at each other and their smiles were perfect mirrors of each other’s.

“What am I signing up for?” Steve sighed loudly.

Peter and his dad exchanged knowing grins. They hugged again and his dad motioned him to the door he came through. He murmured, “Go through there and the rest of us will go out the back way. I’ll see you again later tonight once all these well-wishers go away?”

“Definitely,” Peter replied.

Tony cupped the back of his neck and smiled proudly at Peter. It was one of his “father-son moments” Peter was not allowed to spoil. Even after all the time they had spent together, there were moments his dad liked to step back and appreciate the fact that Peter was in his life. Peter rolled his eyes, embarrassed by his dad’s coddling.

His dad smirked and tapped his cheek, saying, “Love you, kid.”

Now his embarrassment doubled because he was doing this in front of the others. He mumbled, “Love you too, Dad.”

Tony pulled him into an embrace one last time and Peter slipped away before he could get any more emotional.

Peter moved back out into the fair and kept an eye out for his friends but could not find any of the other interns. He strolled over a less noisy corner that was sectioned off as a bar and waved to the bartender, hoping he looked old enough for him to give him a chance. He was twenty-one, going on twenty-two, but bartenders always seemed to think he was sixteen. 

The bartender ignored him and Peter cursed his baby face.

“Baby boy, you’re not getting anything but water or soda from this guy.”

Peter glanced at the man beside him after his comment.

He kept his face blank but he couldn’t stop his eyes widening when he looked at the man sitting beside him. Peter immediately knew who he was though he never met him as Peter Parker and he’d never seen him with his mask off.

Peter always liked running into Wade Wilson on the field. The man was crazy but fun to fight with. Everyone, even his dad, were pretty serious during a fight but Peter could always rely on Wade to crack a joke or over exaggerate with the bad guys. He didn’t know Peter was Spider-Man but Peter instantly recognized the easy chisel to Wade’s voice. His dad had also told him Wade was badly scared all over his body…he hadn’t realized it was so bad…

Wade tipped his beer to Peter and stated, “I know, I look like a testicle with teeth.”

Peter sat down and winced, “Sorry.”

Wade shrugged and said, “I know what I look like. I usually hide behind a mask but bartenders tend to not trust people in masks…If Stark wasn’t giving out free booze, I wouldn’t have come in my Sunday best.”

Wade’s “Sunday best” consisted of an old suit. The legs were black and the top was navy and he wore a tie with teddy bears. His infamous mask was sticking out of his pocket. Peter chuckled as he took in the entire outfit.

Wade looked surprised by his laugh and turned his barstool to fully look at Peter. He regarded Peter curiously. He probably was not used to strangers warming up to him so easily.

Peter sat next to him with a smile. Playing dumb, he asked, “So how do you know Stark? You fall into his reactor?”

Wade barked out a laugh and leaned onto his hand with sparkling eyes as he smirked at Peter. He replied, “Let’s just say I’m a coworker that he tolerates. You?”

“An intern he tolerates,” Peter replied with a grin and Wade’s smile widened too.

Wade held out his hand and introduced himself, “Wade Wilson.”

Peter grasped it and replied, “Peter Parker.”

“Hey, kid.” The bartender finally walked up to him and stated, “Only 21 or older at the bar.”

Wade turned to the man and admonished, “Alejandro, he’s cool. He’s with me.”

“The name’s Dennis and it’s the law. 21 and older or get out of here,” Dennis stated gruffly.

“I’m twenty-one,” Peter said and pulled his ID out of his breast pocket. He put it there for easy access, knowing this would happen.

The bartender quickly looked at his ID and his eyes flickered up from it to him in quick section before he nodded and asked, “What do you want?”

“Just a rum and coke.”

Dennis got to work and Peter looked back to Wade and found the man smiling at him. He leaned toward Peter and said, “So my baby boy isn’t a baby after all.”

Peter flushed under Wade’s sudden interest.

Deadpool always flirted with Spider-Man and sometimes Peter would flirt back but…it had all been in good fun. Peter wasn’t expecting anything to happen but now here was Wade, leaning toward him, obviously interested…

It was different without his mask as a barrier…it was more real and…personal.

Peter hadn’t dated anyone since Gwen died. It’d been years but his heart still clenched as he remembered the loss. Peter had thrown himself into school and Spider-Man and gave himself no time for relationships…not that he even considered something with Wade…or any other “males” in general.

Peter pretended he didn’t notice Wade’s interest and stood up to reach over the bar as the bartender held out the drink to him. Dennis went to the other side of the bar and Peter sat back down. Wade tipped his head to the side, watching Peter’s physic as he stood.

Flushing, Peter perked on eyebrow at Wade for his obvious wandering eyes, particularly at his rear end.

Grinning wider than he’d ever seen, Wade leaned in and whispered, “You know, Stark invited a lot of supes and I’d recognize that ass anywhere, Spidey.”

Peter’s flush evolved into an all-encompassing blush.  

“You look great in any kind of suit,” Wade purred. “But I prefer the spandex.”

“It’s not spandex,” Peter sighed, dropping his head in his hand. He didn’t even attempt to deny the truth. Everyone on the Avengers already knew. What was one more superhero?

But of all things to get him discovered…it really had to be his _ass_?

Wade laughed and asked, “So are you _really_ Stark’s intern? Or is that just a cover?”

“Yes, I’m pretty smart. I’m not just good at climbing walls,” Peter retorted.

Wade smiled wantonly and whispered huskily, “I love a man with many talents.”

Peter flushed, feeling tongue-tied.

“Too much?” Wade murmured, leaning back.

“…I don’t know,” Peter replied truthfully. He looked down at his drink and stated, “Truthfully, my girlfriend died a few years ago and I just never…never looked after that…”

“Aw, I’m sorry, Petey,” Wade murmured. “I lost my own girl a while back. We were going to get married and everything…but…but, I know the feeling…” Wade tapped his chest with his fist and whispered, “It stays with you.”

They both stared at their respective drinks and shared silence for their lost loved ones.

Wade cleared his throat and muttered, “This went from possibly getting in your pants to wallowing in our drinks. Major bummer.”

Peter chuckled and was looking at his friend in a new light. He replied, “No, this is alright.” He took another drink and decided, “You can even keep flirting with me.”

“Oh, really?” Wade asked with a smirk. He picked up his stool and scooted closer to Peter so that only barely an inch of space separated them. Peter flushed but was a little giddy by Wade’s boldness.

Peter leaned onto his hand, placing himself even closer to the mercenary and he whispered, “Hit me with your best shot.”

Wade’s grin was almost feral and that giddiness Peter had felt tingled into a thrill that shot down Peter’s spine with the velocity of a firework.

\---

Wade, it turned out, was a master of all the cheesy flirtations known to man.

“Are you a Transformer? Because you’re _Optimus_ _Fineeee_.”

Peter had been listening to all of Wade’s one-liners for the last couple of minutes but this one made him nearly snort his drink. In response, Wade continued, “If you were a booger, I’d pick you first.”

“Oh my God,” Peter laughed.

“Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?”

Feeling bold and carefree, probably because of the alcohol, Peter leaned in and kissed Wade’s cheek.

Wade stopped and touched the spot on his cheek where he kissed him. He gasped, “Of all the lines, that one actually works?!”

“Or maybe I’m just taking pity on you,” Peter teased. His phone buzzed and he looked down at it. It was a single message from his dad, stating, “Showtime: main hall – 10 minutes.”

He replied with a quick “Kk” and then Peter got to his feet as he threw back the last of his drink.

“Leaving me already, baby boy?” Wade whined.

“Some big stuff is going to go down in the main hall,” Peter replied, “Want to join me in watching?”

Wade jumped to his feet and Peter caught him as he ran into him. Wade was grinning excitedly and it seemed infectious because Peter copied it. Peter grasped his friend’s arm and pulled him in the direction of the surprise wedding.

\---

Tony and Steve were in a dressing room, behind the main stage, and were _supposed_ to be getting ready for their shotgun wedding.

Instead, Tony was making out with Steve on the tiny couch in their dressing room.

Ever since he proposed, Steve hadn’t left his side and was more insatiable than ever. Not that Tony minded. Oh no, he gladly kept close to his fiancé, especially if it meant more moments like this one.

At the moment, Tony was lying on top of Steve with his legs bracketed around the super soldier's hips. Steve had already untucked Tony's shirt and his fingers were digging into the flesh of his back. In response, Tony rubbed himself against Steve, moaning into his mouth. Steve tried to push himself up, maybe to get their bodies closer together, but, he ended up making them wobble and roll off the small couch.

Tony ended up taking the brunt of the impact as his much larger fiancé landed on top of him and a whoosh of air escaped his lungs violently.

Steve stared down at him in a shocked expression making Tony giggle like a madman. Steve smiled and silenced him by claiming his mouth again. Tony’s heart soared and he dug his fingers into Steve’s hair and gasped into his mouth, “ _Love_ _you_.”

Steve groaned and broke their kiss to gasp, “I love you so much. I can’t believe we’re finally doing this!”

Tony wound his arms behind Steve’s head and forced him back down to kiss him some more. Steve chuckled but obliged and Tony wrapped his legs around Steve’s hips.

They were still giggling and kissing on the floor when Pepper found them.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” She gasped, “You two are scheduled to go up in five minutes!!”

Steve sat up and Tony grinned goofily at his best friend as she glowered at them. He announced, “I’ll marry this man even if I look debouched.”

“That is not how we are going to announce to the world you two are together,” Pepper groaned, closing the door behind her.

Steve got up and held out his hand to Tony and helped him to his feet.

“Your suit legs are unsalvageable,” she sighed as she took in their clothes’ wrinkles. She took out her phone and sent out a text as she said, “I’m going to have to use the big guns on this one.”

“You wouldn’t,” Tony gasped, beyond scandalized.

Pepper sent the message and put away her phone as she glared at Tony and retorted, "I would and have."

Wanda poked her head in a moment later and said, “You texted?”

“Yes, thank God,” Pepper said, turning to the Scarlet Witch. “Can you unwrinkle all of their clothes, fix their hair, and then get rid of the hickies on Tony’s neck?”

“Using her powers for something other than the greater good, shame on you, Pepper,” Tony murmured but Wanda merely laughed.  

She raised her hands and the familiar magenta mist of her magic appeared around her fingers. His skin tingled and his clothes vibrated against his skin as they lost their ruffles. His neck felt particularly weird as the hickies were removed and Tony did a little dance as a cold shiver went down his spine.

Tony glanced at Steve and he looked pristine, like Tony hadn’t laid a hand on him. Tony looked down at himself and saw the same results.

“Boring,” he announced.

Steve hooked his hand on Tony’s hip and pulled him to his side. His fiancé whispered into his ear, “I’ll just have to try harder to get you back in that state later.”

Shivers went back down his spine again but, for an entirely different reason and Tony tilted his head back, tracing his nose along Steve’s jaw.

“Hey, hey! Stop you two! And get your suit jackets on! Are you going to get married or just skip to the honeymoon?” Pepper chided.

They both chuckled and Tony angled his head away but Steve gave him one last squeeze and only then did  they separate. Pepper promptly held out his suit jacket and he accepted it from her.

Steve unhooked his own from where it was hanging on the wall and whispered, “This is really happening…”

Tony shrugged on his jacket and eyed his fiancé uneasily. What was going through Steve’s mind? He asked, “You okay, babe? Do you want to hold off on this? All the people know is that I’m making a big announcement. I can just announce the new Iron Man model…”

Steve sighed heavily and admitted, “I’m a little nervous…but, I’m ready.”

Tony nodded and then placed a light kiss on Steve’s lips, a tiny reminder that he was there for him. Steve grasped his hand tightly, a smidge too tight, but Tony did not bring it up. He simply squeezed Steve’s hand tightly in return.

“Our wedding awaits,” Tony said.

Steve smiled at him and then rubbed his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. He leaned in and whispered, “I’m more than ready for it.”

\---

Peter led Wade into the main hall. To the general public, all that was known was that Tony was making an announcement. To the people Tony personally invited, like Peter, they knew what the event was going to be.

Wade was not in the know and was prattling on about what he thought Tony was going to unveil. All of his guesses were obviously wrong but Peter did not spoil his fun as he described the outlandish Iron Man suits he came up with that contained upgrades like a pancake launcher.

As they made their way into the main hall, Peter spotted a few other plainclothes superheroes milling around in the crowd. There were probably more but Peter didn’t know their secret identity just as they wouldn’t know his. But his father and Steve had collected many friends who entrusted their identities with them and Peter knew they had to have been given invites too.

Peter led him over to the section where the interns had reserved seating, conveniently near the stage. Most of the others were there already, Eddie included, and his friend did a double take when Peter and Wade came up. Eddie stared at Wade’s skin openly and Wade went quiet, obviously noticing the scrutiny. Peter frowned, already missing hearing Wade’s happy prattling.

Peter cleared his throat loudly, and said pointedly to Eddie, “Eddie this is Wade. Wade, Eddie.”

Wade held out his hand and Eddie shook it. Eddie dropped his gaze with a flush when he realized he’d been caught staring. Looking at Wade’s tie, he said, “Nice to meet you.”

Wade murmured something similar but Peter was too busy frowning at his fellow intern to notice the social nicety. Eddie avoided his gaze.

Still flushing, Eddie asked, “So how do you two know each other?”

“W-We-,” Peter began, his mind racing to come up with a plausible idea.

“We are going to hook up tonight,” Wade interrupted with a smirk.

Both Eddie and Peter’s jaws dropped.

“Wade-!?” Peter hissed.

“Well, I was hoping, I mean after all the flirting and that kiss…” Wade teased.

Eddie turned to look at Peter like he was an animal that just escaped its exhibit.

Peter rolled his eyes, he may as well just go along with it now, and he did like to mess with Eddie. He countered, “Please, you’re going to have to do a lot more to get into my pants.”

With a mock gasp, Wade hissed, “What will it be a soliloquy? Or shall I compose a song about how great you look in this suit?”

Smirking, Peter murmured, “Keep going…”

“I will write a sonnet about your ass that will rival Shakespeare!” Wade declared and Peter couldn’t keep it in any longer and fell forward under the force of his laughter.

“…Are you two together?” Eddie asked, sounding confused.

Peter picked himself up and met Wade’s eyes. The merc was smiling at him, his eyes sparkling again, and Peter replied cryptically, “Maybe…we’ll see how the night goes.”

Wade’s answering smile genuinely made Peter ponder his statement. He’d said it to get a rise out of the other intern but he didn’t even pause to see Eddie’s reaction. Wade and his smile was all he saw. Wade was actually interested in him. This wasn’t a game or some fun flirtation.

The lights dimmed, signaling for everyone to take their seats. Peter sat down and Wade managed to snag a seat beside him and Eddie took the seat by Peter’s other side. He kept looking at both Peter and Wade, trying to figure them out.

When the lights went out and they were immersed in darkness, Wade placed his hand over Peter’s on the armrest. Peter’s first response was to freeze but he forced his muscles to relax as his heart began to hammer dangerously fast in his chest. He hoped Wade couldn’t feel his pulse. He considered Wade’s actions though. Peter could pull his hand away and deter anymore of Wade’s advances without a word…It could go back to fun flirtations and nothing serious.

Or he could keep his hand where it was and start taking this seriously.

His heart seemed to do a backflip and increased its tempo. He’d never been this nervous with Gwen, but, then again, this was new territory. This was Wade. A man, a mutant, a mercenary, a known killer, but, sometimes a superhero like himself. It was whole new territory for Peter and…it was scary…but also exhilarating.

He turned his hand beneath Wade’s and threaded his fingers between the rough fingers of the merc’s. In the darkness, he smiled widely to himself as that thrilling feeling shot up his spine again.

\---

Pepper led the way as he and Steve followed, holding each other’s hands. Both of them were jittery with nerves and excitement. They only let go of each other when they were both pulled aside to be outfitted with microphones and the connecting battery packs that hooked onto the back of their belts under their jackets.

Tony spared Steve once last glance before stepping onto stage and his fiancé graced him with a big, happy smile in the parting.

Feeling invigorated by Steve’s smile, Tony stepped out on stage and to the cheer and applause of their audience. He let them let out their excitement and waved and blew kisses. It took them a few minutes to settle down and once the screams quietened down to a manageable level, Tony announced, “Thank you for joining me in another successful year of the Stark Bi-Annual Employee Fair.”

This elicited another screaming cheer from his audience and Tony waited for them to quiet down with a smile.

The lights on stage were too bright to see out into the crowd but he knew his son and close friends were mixed into the crowd, waiting to see his eccentric wedding.

Internally, his heartrate picked up again.

_Here we go._

“And I have someone else with me who’d like to thank you for being here,” Tony said, and he turned to hold his hand out to Steve.

Smiling widely and without a hint of nervousness, Steve strode out onto the stage. The audience cheered again when Steve appeared.

Steve crossed the stage and went straight to him. He took Tony’s outstretched hand with a firm grip, and, with his other hand, he tenderly grasped Tony’s jaw, leaned into his personal space, and then kissed him.

Tony thought he was going to be the first to shock all of these people but Steve had to go and steal his thunder. In the background, he could already hear their audience going crazy.

Tony carded his fingers into Steve’s hair and let the man dip him slightly. A few seconds later, they broke apart, both wearing smiles, but stayed connected via their clasped hands. They turned to their audience together and Steve announced, “Tonight, Tony and I would like to come out as a couple.”

The audience applauded and screamed and Tony felt his excitement double with the audience’s jubilation. Tony and Steve traded happy glances and then Tony continued, “Yesterday, I proposed to this handsome man and he said, yes.”

The audience’s volume quadrupled and, by the volume, he knew it was going to take them a moment to calm down.

Steve wrapped his arm around Tony and he leaned into his super soldier’s side.

When the volume got to a manageable level, Steve gave him a little squeeze and stated, “And we decided we didn’t want to wait so, we invite you to join us for our wedding.”

As their audience screamed excitedly, the Avengers came on stage wearing their best and Steve’s priest crossed the stage to stand with them.

Their audience was screaming and going crazy but quieted down enough once the priest started talking.

They did the quick version of the ceremony but both of them were a blubbering mess by the end of it. Even though it was a little odd, Tony thought the ceremony to be _near_ perfect. Throughout the ceremony, Tony kept glancing offstage, to where he knew his son was sitting. The ceremony would have been absolutely perfect if Peter was standing up there with the rest of their collective family.

He’d see Peter again later that night and that was good enough.

\---

“My number two OTP just became canon,” Wade whispered, almost in a dreamlike state as the shuffled out of the main hall with the rest of the attendees.

It took Peter a moment to remember the meaning to the acronym and then he burst out laughing. He knew there were websites that “shipped” his dad with Steve, he’d come across them when he first found out Tony was his father and researched him. He found it hilarious that Wade was one of _those_ people.

Wade continued, “The fanfictions born of this will be amazing…Oh my God, how many of those fictions do you think are real??”

“I don’t really want to think about it…” Peter murmured more to himself. No one wants to think about their parents having sex.

“Don’t tell me they’re you’re NOTP??” Wade gasped aghast. “We can’t associate if you do not support the now _canon_ Stony!”

Peter chuckled and shook his head before replying, “I support them. In fact, I’m very happy for them.”

Wade nodded and said, “Ok, good.”

“So who’s number one?”

Wade’s eyes widened slightly and he repeated questionably, “Number one?”

“If Steve and Tony are your number two, who’s your number one?” Peter countered.

Wade chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. He murmured, “I think I’ll hold onto that one until it becomes canon too.”

Peter’s breath caught in his throat. Wade wasn’t looking at him and Peter was suddenly reminded of all the fanfiction on the internet starring Spider-Man. His usual romantic interest was usually a certain merc with a mouth.

In that moment, he knew exactly who Wade was talking about. Peter flushed to himself as he wondered how deep Wade’s affections went. Glancing at him from the corner of his eyes, he asked, “Do you think it will happen?”

Smiling warmly at Peter, Wade murmured, “One can only hope…”

Peter playfully bumped into Wade, letting him interpret the wordless action on his own.

Once they finally were out of the main hall and cleared away from the majority of the mass that had exited it, Peter turned to Wade and said, “I’ve got a scheduled appointment right now to annihilate Hawkeye at pool…Would you like to join me?”

“Baby boy, I’d follow you anywhere,” he replied.

As they navigated the building, Peter expected the cheesy pickup lines to start up again but Wade asked him about his internship and Peter dived into describing the experiment he and Eddie were working on.  

They eventually found Clint. The archer was surprised to see Wade but was fine with him joining in. No one was paying much attention to the lesser known Avenger and Peter felt safe enough to play with him.

They teamed up against Hawkeye, totally creaming him. Clint demanded individual rematches. He beat Peter but, when he went up against Wade, it went from pool game to pool fight. Pool balls went flying and pool sticks turned into katanas.

Needless to say, the rest of the night was spent dodging security but they had fun with it, pretending they were spies on a secret mission. Peter never had so much fun or done so many ridiculous things in one night not dressed as Spidey.

It was a blast.

They were hiding under a table when Tony texted him, looking for a meetup and Peter muttered dejectedly, “I have to go.”

Wade frowned and asked, “ _Why_?”

“Dad wants to meet up,” Peter mumbled as he replied to the text.

“You brought your dad here? _Lame_ ,” Wade teased.

Peter looked up at Wade in shock. More people knew he was Spider-Man than knew he was Tony’s son and he almost let it slip to Wade.

Peter quickly schooled his features and joked, “I know, super lame, but he was invited too and I haven’t seen him at all!”

“He a scientist too?” Wade asked.

Peter grinned and replied, “More of an engineer than a scientist.”

“So he’s where you got your geekiness from,” Wade nodded to himself like he was knowledgeable.

“Shut up,” Peter replied affectionately and lightly elbowed Wade.

Wade smiled and murmured, “Don’t be a stranger, baby boy. I’ll get lonely.”

“I won’t,” Peter promised and he meant it.

They shared a moment, simply staring at each other. Peter was the first to break eye contact and looked away with a slight flush. Wade caught his chin, preventing him from completely looking away.

“I’ll see you around, Peter,” Wade promised and lightly traced Peter’s jaw with his thumb. Goosebumps raised along Peter's skin and he stared at Wade almost captivated. Wade grinned one last time and slipped away as soon as his hand left Peter’s face.

Peter scrambled after him but, by the time he got out from under the table, Wade was gone, leaving Peter with a tingling patch of skin on his face and a racing heart.

When Peter went back to the VIP rooms, everyone was there and his dad embraced him.

Tony asked, “What’s with that smile on your face?”

Peter shrugged and replied, “I just had a good time.”

Tony's grin grew wider and he pulled Peter toward the team. His adoptive family all greeted him warmly and the feeling on Peter's jaw went away. 

But the faster beat to his heart didn't.

Later that night, after spending time with the Avengers and having the most fun he ever had in years, Peter stumbled into the house he shared with his Aunt May.

He took off his suit, being careful not to wrinkle it more than it already was, when he saw something sticking out of his breast pocket. He pulled out the napkin and smiled at the scratchy phone number and doodle of a cartoonish Deadpool.

He fell back onto his bed, staring at the number. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and considering what Wade wanted made him feel enthusiastic and wary…but an excited wary, like what one felt when you were about to board a rollercoaster.

Peter grabbed his phone and added Wade’s number. After a moment’s hesitation, he sent Wade a spider web and a winky face emoji.

Wade replied with a myriad of random emojis and Peter laughed.


	4. Monday, August 8th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Enough fluff! Let's add some angst! >:D

Peter knew this was going to happen one day.

He loved his birthfather and loved hanging out with him and the rest of the Avengers but he also loved the anonymity of his life. He loved being able to go past the paparazzi and having them look straight through him. He loved no one giving him a second glance when he walked down the street. But, mostly, he loved simply being Peter Parker: a guy who loved science and geeked out over comic book references. It protected his other life as Spider-Man. No one had ever guessed the correlation between the two because Peter’s life was so “boring.”

Yet being the only child of Tony Stark did not equate to such a life. He’d been lucky so far but it ran out on Monday, August 8th.

It began with Peter being woken up in the early morning by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

He heard his Aunt May cross the squeaky floorboards of the lower level to answer the door so he did not get up to answer it himself. He sleepily groped his bedside table for his phone to see what time it was. If it was early enough, he was going to go back to sleep.

It was just after 7 am and he would have gone back to sleep for a few more minutes…if it weren’t for the alarming number of notifications on his phone.

The first thing that caught his eye was that he had over 500 friend requests on Facebook.

Secondly, he noticed the numerous missed calls from his father.

He also had a number of texts and phone calls from contacts and unknown numbers.

He sat up sharply, peering at his phone in alarm.

Downstairs, he heard his Aunt May open the door and a person say, “Hello, May Parker? Is it true your nephew, Peter Parker, is the illegitimate son of Tony Stark?”

Aunt May instantly slammed the door and yelled, “PETER?!”

Peter stared dumbly from his phone to his door, not knowing how to react.

He heard his aunt bound up the stairs and then she entered his room without pausing to knock. Her face was stark white and her big blue eyes focused on him and she repeated in a whisper, “Peter…”

“I-I heard…I see…” He motioned to his phone and then he murmured, “I’m still trying to process it…I think…”

She bit her lip and nodded anxiously. She asked, “C-Can I do anything?”

“No…just…No, I’m fine.”

He was far from fine but he did not want to worry his aunt any more than she already was. She nodded and then murmured, “I’m going to try to get the reporters off the front lawn and then I’m going to make breakfast, okay?”

Peter nodded, unable to speak.

His aunt crossed the room and hugged him tightly. Peter returned the embrace and may have held her a little tighter than usual. She gave no complaint if he used too much strength and lightly kissed his forehead before leaving the room.

Peter did the one thing he could do…he called his father.

His dad picked up on the first ring, gasping, “Peter!”

“So I think the cat is out of the bag, Dad,” Peter murmured dryly.

“There’s a photo of us from last night,” his dad explained with a sad sigh. “When we left together. Someone must have been in the garage. We’re both smiling and, according to Steve, when we do that we look like twins, which I think is ridiculous because I am clearly the more handsome between the two of us.”

Peter forced a chuckle and murmured, “Clearly, you need your eyes checked….”

Tony sighed loudly and then whispered, “I’m sorry this happened. I can try to rein it in. Right now it is only speculation. Richard was my cousin. We can spin off our similar appearances to come from family relations and not father-son relations.”

He could tell by the tone of his father’s voice that he was bummed by the prospect. He wanted to tell the world Peter was his son but he was willing to deny it if Peter wanted to keep up the charade.

Peter sighed heavily too and was tempted to ask his father to use his power to do so. But…even then, Peter would still be in the spotlight. Even if they did believe Tony, everyone would then know him for being a relation to the great Tony Stark. He had always been an insignificant nobody. When the Parkers had cut ties with the Starks, before his birth, they also cut any ties with the fame that came with the Stark name. But now he was in the limelight and even if his dad was able to make them believe they were uncle and nephew…since he had no other children, Peter would still be considered the inheritor to his fortune… In the end, Peter was ousted as the Stark heir.

He’d rather be known as Stark’s illegitimate son than Stark’s once-blood feud nephew.

“No…We knew this was going to happen sooner or later. You can give an official statement…” Peter replied, his voice at a lower level from his melancholy.

“…Are you sure, Peter?” His dad whispered, concerned.

“Yeah, I am.” He smiled and dryly joked, “Imagine all the father-son activities we can do now!”

Tony chuckled and implored, “Come to the Tower. When I make my statement, I want you to be there.”

Peter gulped dryly and his throat bobbed uselessly. His panic rose like a blasting rocket as he imagined standing in front of all of those cameras.

It hit him then. How was he going to keep his identity as Spider-Man a secret now? People were going to be following him, his movements were going to be tracked by the paparazzi!

He’d been able to keep his identity safe from entities like SHIELD with his father’s help but now his identity will be discovered within the week!

And SHIELD! How were they going to react to this?? They had no idea he was Spider-Man, nonetheless Tony Stark’s only child!

“ _Peter_?” His dad implored, sounding worried.

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled. “Just having a mini panic attack. No big deal. I’m currently adjusting to the fact total strangers are going to recognize me now and it’s not going too smoothly.”

“I’ll come to you,” his dad stated resolutely.

“ _Dad_ ,” Peter pressed. “You don’t have to-. It has to be crazy at the Tower.”

“I’ll fly,” he replied. “I can give you a lift.”

His heart jumped at the chance to go flying with the Iron Man suit. He’d only done it once before in the middle of a battle and it had been exhilarating.

It’d also be a great way to avoid traffic and pesky reporters.

“Alright,” Peter replied. “Aunt May’s making breakfast right now, do you want some?”

“Sure, I’ll head out right now…and Peter, I love you, and I am _so_ sorry this happened…”

Peter smiled sadly and replied, “I love you too, Dad, and…it’s alright. I knew this was going to happen eventually. If I was given the chance to go back and change the past, I wouldn’t. I rather have you in my life than out of it.”

\---

Steve was standing in front of the TV with a hard expression as he watched the news coverage about Peter unfold. Tony hung up his cell and wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist. He quickly relayed to him his conversation with Peter and his plans to fly out to him.

“That’s good,” Steve murmured. “Take your time. He needs you and won’t let on how much he does because he’s as stubborn as you.”

Tony stood up on the tips of his toes for a quick, chaste kiss and murmured, “Love you too, babe. I’ll keep you updated.”

He slipped from Steve’s side and went out to the balcony. He followed the assembly path and his suit was constructed around him.

There was press around the Tower too and a couple of helicopters from the local news stations elected to film the Tower instead of traffic today. Friday informed him that his suit up was caught on camera.

“Not the first time,” Tony murmured to himself.

“They will most likely follow you, Sir,” Friday stated.

The last of his suit clicked on and he scoffed, “They can try.”

Tony rose into the air, angled his body, and then the suit took off at top speeds, racing past the volley of helicopters in seconds.

In his back vectors, he could see them turning and following. Usually, they'd be too slow to follow but they sadly probably knew exactly where he was going. He sighed to himself as he thought of his son. Peter wasn’t made for the lifestyle Tony lived but now he was going to be unwillingly thrust into it…

He couldn’t imagine what was going through Peter’s mind right now and the sound of his voice on the phone – Tony winced. He sounded bad. He was definitely in shock.

He hoped his presence would help in some way.

He landed in the backyard. The reporters saw him land but, thanks to the high fence, they were unable to see him as he strolled up to the back door. This will be the only time the Parkers may be thankful for having their neighbors living practically on top of them! 

May opened the back door and glowered at him as he approached.

Tony lifted his face shield and greeted his late cousin’s wife with a smile. He said, “Hey May, how’s it going?”

“Really?” She asked with an edge to her voice.

Tony sighed and replied, “I know…Where is he?”

Her tone changed instantly as she spoke of Peter and worriedly murmured, “He’s still in his room…Breakfast will be ready in five more minutes. Please, bring him down.”

Tony stepped out of his suit and followed May inside. He’d only been in the quaint house a few times but today it seemed smaller and more confining than usual. The back door opened to the kitchen and Tony left May to finish her pancakes. He walked down the main hall and then turned to go upstairs. It was quiet and the stairs creak loudly beneath his tread.

Peter was sitting on his bed with his phone in his hands and was staring off into space.

“Hey, Pete,” he murmured lightly.

Peter jolted like he was shocked by something and then turned to Tony and sighed, “Hi, Dad.”

Tony smiled sadly at his son and crossed the room, sitting next to him. How was he to provide comfort at this stage? It wasn’t every day his once happily, solitary son was now the top trending topic of the modern world all because he was Tony’s child.

Peter fell into his side as the bed shifted under Tony’s weight. Peter was still clutching his phone and Tony saw all of the unopened notifications. Tony asked, “Have you gone online yet?”

“…No, I still feel…too shocked to really process any of this just yet,” Peter whispered.

Tony sighed and drew his arm around Peter’s shoulders. He stated, “With these things, one of the options is to just ignore the media. They’re freaking out right now, but if you don’t cause any scandals or give them anything to work with, they’ll go after the next story.”

“What if they dig too deep and find Spider-Man?” Peter whispered hoarsely.

Tony felt a spike of fear stab itself into his heart but he did not let it show on his face. All of those criminals Peter was responsible for putting away…or the villains he dealt with, with the Avengers. None of them knew how to get revenge because they didn’t know who Spider-Man was. 

But now all of Tony’s enemies would know he has a son. Peter would be the ultimate leverage or tool of revenge.

Tony squeezed him tightly and his heartbeat raced out of control.

Tony cleared his throat and replied, “Spidey will just have to go on vacation for a couple of weeks…just so we can be sure.”

He’ll keep Peter safe, locked away in his Tower for as long as he could. No one would hurt his son. No reporter, villain, or everyday civilian. They’d have to get through Tony, the Avengers, and the Tower’s defense system first.

Peter seemed to shrink in his arms but he nodded morosely in agreement.

Tony kept talking, to fill up this oppressive silence, “So here’s the plan: we have breakfast with your aunt and I’ll give her the lowdown. We go to the Tower and you should probably stay with us for a while. The reporters will camp outside of the Tower instead of May’s front lawn. And you can keep living out your life. You can hang with the Avengers, keep interning, and have your friends come to the Tower. Eventually, this story will die down and we can figure out how we want to go from there.”

Tony looked down at Peter, looking for a reaction to the plan. Peter’s expression was mostly blank and, for what seemed like a long hiatus, he did not reply, verbally or physically. But Peter finally nodded with care, as if moving his neck was difficult.

Tony nodded more vigorously and then got to his feet, saying, “Alright! Let’s go downstairs then! Your aunt is probably ready by now!”

He held out his hand to his son and Peter looked at it and then gradually slid his hand into Tony’s. Tony pulled him up and, together, they went downstairs.

\---

Peter was still clutching his phone in his hand when his Aunt May placed the platter of pancakes in front of him.

“I couldn’t make your favorite,” she said apologetically. “We had no blueberries and if I tried to run to the market…”

She left the obvious unsaid. She couldn’t leave her home. All because the outside world finally figured out the connection between Peter and his father.

At the moment, his dad was sitting across from him, wearing a worried expression and making no moves to touch the food Aunt May put in front of him.

Peter stiffly let go of his phone and sat it on his leg so neither of his elders would notice he’d taken it down with him. The phone was on silent, thankfully. Otherwise, it’d be lighting up and buzzing with every new notification he received.

He did not feel hungry but, to relieve his family’s fears, he picked up the fork and began to eat the sweetened dough.

As soon as she saw him eating, Aunt May busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen. His father also seemed satisfied and turned to his aunt and began to tell her his plans.

Peter only half listened but put most of his concentration upon chewing.

He could hear the media outside. It was louder now that he was on the same level as them. They were a constant murmur of voices. Sometimes he could pick out a word or a phrase, but, mostly it was a buzz, like that of a busy hive.

“Peter.”

Peter turned his attention back to the table and his father and aunt.

Tony looked even more worried now and Peter realized he had stopped eating and turned his head to the front of the house to hear the reporters better. He was starting to feel queasy and murmured, “I don’t think I can eat anymore.”

“Alright…We can go to the Tower now. That sound good?” His father replied gently.

“But what about all of his things?” Aunt May asked.

“He has some stuff at my place already, but I’ll send Pepper by in a few days to pick up whatever more Peter might need.”

Peter listened to the exchange feeling the control of his own life slipping out of his hands. How did it come to this? Was there anything he could have done different to have prevented this?... _How was he going to come out of this as his own person_?

Peter stood and Aunt May came around the table to embrace him tightly.

“I will come to visit as soon as I can. And if you need me, for anything, – _anything_ –please call me,” she whispered, her voice harsh with emotion.

“Okay,” he whispered, his voice sounding dead to him.

Aunt May pulled back and cupped his cheek with her mouth wobbling.

“I'm okay, Aunt May,” he assured her, squeezing her arms.

“I know you will be,” she whispered. “You're a strong boy, like your Uncle Ben. One day you'll look back on this and laugh.”

He clenched his jaw as he too was overcome with emotion. He buried his face in her shoulder and whispered, “I love you, Aunt May.”

“I love you too, Peter.”

They held each other tightly for an extended moment and then separated with sad smiles. His dad stood by the back door and then opened it for him.

Peter looked at his aunt one last time and then, faced the door, inhaled deeply, and then stepped outside.

The Iron Man suit was waiting for them, standing where Tony had left it.

It was louder outside and if he went anywhere near any of the fence, Peter knew they would be able to see him from the front. Luckily, his dad left the suit near the back of the house but…overhead, helicopters circled. He felt their metallic eyes on him instantly and dropped his gaze. He took another breath to steady himself and then Peter walked up to the suit, trying to stand as tall as possible, which was hard in all of the clangor…

“It’ll be much quieter at the Tower,” his dad promised.

Peter nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Tony touched his shoulder, squeezing it slightly, and then stepped into his suit. Peter watched the metal encase his father and then Iron Man’s eyes lit up, indicating he was ready to go.

“How do you want to do this?” Peter questioned, “Do you want to carry me? Or should I sit on your back?”

 “You holding onto my front should be the easiest,” Tony replied.

Peter nodded and stepped onto the tops of his dad’s feet and then wound his arms around his neck. Tony wrapped a single arm around Peter’s torso and then murmured, “Ready?”

Peter nodded and then pressed his face into the metal suit. The entire suit shuddered as the repulsors turned on and it turned into an even vibration as they rose into the air.

Peter closed his eyes and let himself be free in the sensation of flying.

In the darkness of his sealed eyes, everything was much more manageable.

He got a little queasy but the flight was over before he knew it. It usually would have taken him much longer through his usual route with public transportation.

They landed on the main balcony and Steve was there waiting for them. He went straight to Peter as soon as they landed and embraced him tightly as soon as he let go of Tony. Steve promised, “We’re here for you, Pete. Is there anything I can get you? Anything you want to talk about?”

“Let’s get him inside first,” Tony murmured gently, lightly touching Peter’s back.

Peter let them lead him inside. He was half expecting the rest of the Avengers to be there, waiting for him, but, the living room was empty.

“Where is everyone?” He asked.

“…They’re all worried about you but I sent them away. I didn’t want you to feel too smothered,” Steve explained. “They’ll come running if you ask though.”

Peter sighed and fell back into the couch. He murmured, “No, I think I’m fine like this…”

Steve sat next to him and murmured, “How are you?”

Peter tipped back his head and stared at the ceiling. He processed his step-father’s words and finally let himself truthfully say, “Not good…I always knew this was a possibility but now that it’s happening…it’s terrifying…”

“You’re not alone,” Steve reminded him, reaching out to grasp his arm.

“That’s right,” his dad agreed, sitting on Peter’s other side. “You’re not alone in this. We’re going to be with you every step of the way. _You are my son_ and I’m going to make sure that is something you never have to fear.”

\---

Peter eventually slipped away into his own room at the Tower citing he needed some alone time. With the door sealed, he sat heavily on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. He took several deep, quaking breaths that he had been holding in, and let his entire body shudder after holding it in for so long.

Since he’d arrived at the Tower, Steve had managed to make him eat some more food and Tony had destroyed Peter’s phone and given him a new one. Friday reassured him that all of his contacts were in it as well as all of his apps with all of his content properly saved. The only difference about this phone was that his number had changed and it had tougher security settings.

Peter looked down at the phone and wondered who he could trust in it now and who would sell the new number as soon as they got it. The list of those he could trust was sadly very short. He sent a text to Aunt May first to give her his new number. She replied back almost immediately, reassuring him that she was there for him.

…He was starting to get tired of people telling him they were there for him…like he needed a shoulder to cry on. He didn’t want them to treat him differently. He felt like they wouldn’t stop and would continue for the rest of his life.

He thanked her either way and scrolled through his other contacts. He outright deleted a few, knowing his new status as Tony Stark’s son would change certain relationships for the worse. Others, like MJ, he didn't even have to think twice about. She was his best friend and would remain so for the rest of their lives, no matter who his father was.

He paused at Gwen’s name. He should have deleted his late girlfriend’s name years ago but he never had the strength to let her go. He looked at her name for a moment and his throat tightened. He eventually scrolled past her name, leaving it where it was…

Peter didn’t know what to do with himself. He couldn’t look at social media or the internet without being bombarded by the news about being the Stark illegitimate son. He wasn’t ready to look at any of it just yet. Maybe in a couple of days…just not now…

He kept looking at the names in his contacts and wondered with each person: _Can I trust you? Will you still treat me the same?_

The answers he came up with for many were alarmingly bleak.

Until he finally came to his newest contact and the last name on his contact list: Wade Wilson.

For the first time since all of this started, Peter smiled to himself.

He could trust Wade. The man already knew his deepest secret, that he was Spider-Man. And he knew without a doubt the man would treat him the same. He may squeal a little about him being the son of his “number two OTP” but, that’s just be Wade acting like his usual goofy self. That would be Wade just treating him like plain-old-Peter, not the Stark son.

Peter opened his text messages and sent one to Wade, telling him he got a new number.

Wade’s near-instant reply was: ‘Holy-frickity-frack you can have insider knowledge and can help me write the best fanfiction EVER!’

Peter rolled his eyes with a chuckled. Nailed it. He replied: ‘I am not going to write fanfiction about my parents. Ew.’

Wade texted back: ‘At least tell me what kind of pet names they use.’

‘Normal ones?’ Peter replied as he smirked to himself.

‘So they also use baby boy? ;D’

Peter flushed. Well, it was a pet name but…it wasn't normal. He’d never heard anyone else use it but Wade and…Peter’s flush deepened, well baby boy was _his_. It was weird imagining his dad use it on Steve. Or total strangers use it. “Baby boy” already equated to Wade’s Peter in his mind and…he didn’t know how he felt about that.

Instead of acknowledging the pet name, Peter replied: ‘They both call each other “babe” a lot but my Dad calls Steve “Beloved” sometimes and Steve says “Honey.”’

‘Baby boy you just made my heart do a backflip and land with a split. I am updating my fanfiction accounts at this very moment.’

‘Glad to be of service,’ Peter texted back.

‘Oh you can service me whenever you want! ;D’

Peter laughed aloud at the bad flirting and curled onto his side, smiling at his phone.

After a moment of reflection, he typed out: ‘Thank you.’

Wade took a minute to reply, before finally asking: ‘For what?’

‘For being you.’

Another minute passed and then Wade replied: ‘You just made me smile so sweetly that I could have given you cavities so I had to punch something to feel like a man again instead of gingivitis.’

Peter laughed and replied: ‘Don’t ever change Wade.’

‘Alright, but only on one condition.’

‘What?’ Peter asked.

‘You, me, the moonlight, and New York’s best chimichangas. Tomorrow night.’

Peter reread the message a few times and then typed out the obvious: ‘That sounds like a date.’

‘That is exactly what I want it to be,’ Wade countered. It was quickly followed by a second text, ‘Unless you say otherwise. Because bros before bro hoes.’

Peter sat up, chewing on his lip nervously. He and Wade had been dancing around this since yesterday and Wade finally made his move. Now it was up to Peter to make the next. He gave Peter an easy out. Peter could ask to go as friends only but…

Peter’s heart fluttered in his chest and he remembered threading his fingers through Wade’s during the wedding.

Before indecision could stop him, Peter quickly typed out his gut response:

‘It's a date then.’


	5. Tuesday, August 9th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the late posting! BUT it's still August 9th in my timezone soooo yay! :D

“He's still asleep?” Pepper murmured gently, as if Peter could hear her from where he was holed up in his room.

Sighing deeply, Tony replied, “Yeah, according to Friday, he's been mostly sleeping. I don't want to wake him. I doubt he slept much last night...”

Pepper nodded and said, “He doesn't have to do anything. I'll write up statements on his behalf and all he’ll have to do is okay them. They’ll basically explain that Peter doesn't want to give out any interviews as of yet.”

“Yet?” Tony replied darkly, his eyes narrowing on his friend.

“…Maybe in a year or two he'll be open to it,” Pepper shrugged. “Either way, right now, Peter is our number one priority, not the press, not our shareholders. _Peter_.”

Tony nodded in agreement and asked, “What's the damage so far?”

“The statement I put out last night about Peter being your son went through better than expected. Since he has been in your life, people don't see you as abandoning him. It helped that you admitted to being his father and keeping silent about it more for Peter than for yourself. There's a lot of curiosity about who Peter is because he's lived such a quiet life though. So we've had a lot of people trying to dig something up and some of Peter’s ‘friends’ have shared personal content from his private social media accounts. So, not only do they know about his love of Star Trek, but they also know about Gwen’s death. They’ve been focusing on that and the Parkers’ deaths. They're making him out to be the sad orphan and are mostly pitying him right now in the news segments…But they went as far as to camp out in front of the Stacey's so I put them up at a hotel with security.”

Tony buried his face in his hands and groaned, “Don't tell Peter.”

Pepper nodded and murmured, “Our stock prices dropped slightly but not as much as I thought it would.”

Tony sighed again and then picked his head up to reply, “Well, that's good.”

“Coulson also wants a confirmation and also wants to know how you kept this quiet from the largest spy agency on the planet,” Pepper added, dryly.

“Tell him I’m just really good at keeping secrets,” Tony replied smartly.

“Says the man who revealed to the world he was Iron Man the day after the press learned about him,” Pepper retorted sarcastically.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Tony replied with a grin. 

Pepper rolled her eyes and moved on, “Reporters want to know if Steve's going to adopt Peter. Have any of you discussed it?”

“We barely touched on what Peter should call Steve,” Tony groaned, wishing Steve was there. His new husband was currently on the floor below them doing his daily run on the treadmill in the gym. Friday had already informed him Steve was running twice as fast. The man was probably trying to run off his frustration of not being able to help Peter any more than he was already doing...

“…Needless to say, you'll also have to put a hold on that honeymoon,” Pepper murmured.

Peter appeared at that moment and his son's eyes narrowed. He announced, “You don't have to put a hold on your life because of me.”

Tony got to his feet and went to his son, pulling him into a hug. He replied with his face pressed into Peter’s shoulder, “You are a part of my life, Pete, and the last thing I'd do is leave you at a time like this.”

Tony pulled himself out of the hug and finally took notice of Peter’s clothes. He was wearing his white intern lab coat.

“…Pete…Why are you dressed like this?”

“I have a shift scheduled for today,” Peter replied. “I missed yesterday and I don’t want to miss anymore. My lab is in the building so it's not like the press can hassle me.”

“But we should discuss this first,” Tony stated. He turned to Pepper and said, “Pep, you’re great at discussing things. We should all discuss this.”

Pepper rolled her eyes and rose to her feet. She walked over to them and stated to Peter, “I think it is great that you are not letting this incidence tie you down. You should keep trying to live your life, in whatever ways you can.”

Peter nodded but Tony countered, “But your supervisor would understand if you wanted to call out for the day.”

“I’m going to go, Dad,” Peter said with a sad smile. “Pep’s right. I gotta keep living my life. I’ll see you for lunch, ‘kay?”

“Alright,” Tony mumbled miserably. Peter squeezed him in a quick embrace and then slipped away, snagging an apple out of the fruit basket on the kitchen counter on the way out.

“Tony…you can’t keep him in a glass bubble and protect him from everything. He’s an adult. He needs to make his own choices,” Pepper whispered softly to him.

“…But I am his father,” Tony retorted, almost stubbornly. “It is my job to look out for him.”

\---

Peter’s trip to the lab was much shorter now that he wasn’t coming all the way from Queens but he still managed to cut it close with how late he slept in.

He ate his apple breakfast as quickly as possible and, in the deserted elevator, he dropped all social graces and attacked it like a starving man.

When the doors opened, he wiped the juices off his face and stepped outside. He tossed the core in a trashcan beside the elevators and then made his way over to the labs. He had to pass through a few security checkpoints. He knew all of the security guards by name but, as he approached the first guard, Jake, he knew things were not going to go as smoothly from there.

Jake looked up from his computer screen and openly stared at Peter. Peter pretended he didn’t notice and greeted, “Hey, Jake.”

“Hey….” Jake dragged out the greeting, the sound of the word rose in inflection and sounded more like a question than a greeting. Peter pressed his hand against the handprint scanner and a flash of blue light scanned his prints. It quickly chirped in confirmation, giving him the greenlight to go forward.

“Well…I’ll see you later,” Peter murmured awkwardly and then hurried through the now unlocked door. He felt Jake’s eyes on him until the doors closed behind him.

The next guard was bolder and forwent greeting him and outright asked, “Are you really Stark’s kid?”

Peter typed his code into the keypad and sighed, “Yeah, I am.”

“I never noticed before, but you look a lot like him. You should grow out some facial hair. You’d be a dead ringer.”

“Which is why I never did that,” Peter countered. He hit enter and waited for the light to turn green.

“Well, now you can!” The guard countered, like it was the best idea in the world.

“I think I will stay clean shaven,” Peter replied with a slight edge. Now that it was out that he was Tony’s son, did people expect him to drop everything and be just like him?

The keypad beeped and the doors opened. Peter sighed in relief and nearly ran into the lab.

The lab used to feel like a sanctuary to him but, when the eyes of the other interns and the supervisors fell on him, the lab felt the furthest thing from the safe, relaxing place it used to be.

Peter hurried over to the station where their supervisors kept the interns' files and pretended he didn’t notice everyone watching his every move. He picked up his files and, as he thumbed through the reports, the whispers started.

Eddie’s files were right next to his and his friend left whatever chemical concoction he was working on to return to grab his files. Peter continued to look over his reports even though he knew exactly what he was supposed to be working on. He was too mortified to move and their whispers felt like they were crawling over his skin. What did he expect would happen? Did he think everyone would not notice the news coverage? Or the reporters surrounding the building, throwing questions at them about Peter as they came into work?

Eddie didn’t even pretend to be doing something like Peter was. He stood at the station, staring straight at Peter. After a moment, he whispered, “Hey, Parker.”

Peter fidgeted with his papers and then he glanced at his friend warily and murmured, “…Hi.”

“…So Stark’s your dad?” Eddie asked conversationally.

“Yup,” Peter said, forcing himself not to sigh heavily. He was probably going to be answering this question a lot in the coming weeks.

“That’s…crazy,” Eddie murmured.

Peter hid his smile with his papers and then murmured, “Those were pretty much my thoughts when I found out…”

Eddie shuffled the reports at his desk and peeked at Peter from the corner of his eyes and asked, “We cool?”

“Who my father is doesn’t change me, Eddie,” Peter retorted, speaking louder so everyone heard him. The whispers came to an immediate stop as everyone turned to look at him. He put down his reports and faced the rest of the lab, stating, “I’m still the same person. I’m still Peter.”

Many avoided his gaze and his chest tightened. All of the interns he once called friends…once.

Eddie bumped into his side and stated, “Well, Parker, we’ve still got work to do on our protoplasm research or are you going to just stand there and be ‘Peter’ for your entire shift?”

“You are such a loser, Brock,” Peter murmured, bumping into his friend’s side in return and dipping his head down low. He blinked his eyes rapidly from the sudden onset of tears.

“Love you too, bud,” Eddie retorted sarcastically and Peter’s lips wobbled into a smile.

Maybe this won’t be so bad…he was going to lose a lot of friends…but the few who were going to stand by him…those were the ones he’d want by his side in the end.

He followed Eddie to their workstation and they dove into their work.

\---

As soon as Peter left, Tony had Friday pull up the building’s security footage and watched his son make his way to the research labs, several floors below.

Pepper made no comment of his eccentric behavior. Her eye roll was enough to show what she thought of his spying. She busied herself with phone calls and, at the moment, it sounded like she was scheduling an interview for him with Good Morning America.

Steve strolled in, fresh from a shower. His very presence relieved some of his stress. Tony reached out to him and Steve wordlessly fell into his side. More stress melted away and Tony sighed into Steve's shoulder.

“Is that Peter?” Steve asked.

“He insisted on going to the lab,” Tony murmured petulantly.

“So you're keeping an eye on him at work?” Steve stated. “You know Peter probably won't like that.”

“He's my son, Steve,” Tony rationalized. “It's because he's related to me that this is happening. I just want to keep him safe…”

“I know…” Steve murmured, placing an arm over Tony's shoulders. “But there is such a thing as being _too_ smothering.”

Tony made a scoffing noise and snuggled deeper into his husband’s side to show him how smothering he could be.

Steve reach forward and turned off the holo screens with a light tap.

Pepper took it as a sign to quickly ended her conversation and rejoin them on the couch.

“Steve! Good, now we can get to business! I already told Tony that we have to put a hold on the honeymoon,” Pepper stated. “Also, what is your stance on adopting Peter? The public will see all of you as a more stable family unit if you adopt him. And how do you feel about doing some interviews in a few days?”

Steve glanced down at Tony and then back to Pepper and said, “We haven't really discussed adoption…But I love Peter. He's an amazing kid. I'd be happy to adopt him as long as Tony and Peter are fine with that.”

 “If he was fine with calling you Pops, I think he'll be fine with having you officially becoming one of his dads,” Tony replied.

“It feels like we’re taking this all at high speed and I can barely keep up,” Steve sighed. “I mean, we _just_ got married and that hasn’t even sunk in yet.”

“I think the honeymoon is the transitioning point,” Tony murmured dryly. “We would have let it sink in several times and in several positions.”

Steve smirked at him with heated eyes and Pepper sighed lightly in exasperation.

“One of you will need to bring up the adoption with Peter,” Pepper stated.

Tony only half heard her as Steve’s fingers began to caress Tony’s shoulder. He was slowly making his way toward Tony’s neck and all Tony could think about was that one spot where he was extremely sensitive, right behind his ear, and how much he wanted Steve to touch him there.

“We’ll talk to him about it,” Steve murmured, his fingers trailing closer.

“Alright, Pep,” Tony announced, his voice a little higher. “Good talking to you.”

“There’s also the matter of –,” Pepper continued.

 Steve’s fingers found their mark and Tony sat up sharper and squeaked, “Pep! Steve and I need a moment to let things sink in!”

Pepper narrowed her eyes and stated, “But the press-.”

“Can wait! We're not going to cater to their every whim! So, if you don't mind, I want to get some alone time with my husband right now!”

Steve, the devil, was still drawing circles right over Tony's sensitive spot and he was using all of his willpower not to jump on Steve in front of Pepper. But, damn, his skin was tingling and heating up under Steve's fingertips.

“You've got to be kidding me,” Pepper retorted.

“Pep, I am going to sink my tongue down Steve's throat in the next ten seconds whether or not you are here.”

Pepper picked herself up and groaned, “Fine, I'm going, but I'm going to send you some statements in a couple of hours that I need you to approve.”

Tony wrapped both of his arms around Steve's neck and warned her, “Five seconds.”

Steve pressed his face into Tony’s neck with a chuckle but his hands snaked their way around his hips.

Pepper promptly turned around and started walking away. Over her shoulder, she said, “Have fun with your honeymoon phase, boys!”

Tony slid into Steve’s lap as soon as the elevator opened for her and murmured into Steve's lips, “We, my beloved husband, are going to relieve some stress”

Smiling widely, Steve rose up to meet his kiss, gripping his hips tightly and pressing Tony down onto Steve's already growing erection.

 _Yes_ , orgasmic, earth-shattering stress relief.

\---

Peter’s day at the lab was surprisingly pretty normal. The normalcy came from the fact that he mostly worked with Eddie and, after his initial approach, his friend acted like nothing was wrong. Both of them directed their full attentions to their research and didn’t have time to discuss Peter’s parentage.

Peter really only noticed the difference when he left their workstation to collect materials. The others openly stared at him, making Peter feel like he was being singled out and examined like one of the samples he would stare at on his petri dish.

And, if he paused, he would hear their whispers again. He could never make out what they were saying but he knew it was about him. It made him feel self-conscious and anxious.

Needless to say, when the shift was done, Peter stuck close to Eddie’s side and avoided everyone else.

Everyone piled into the elevator to go down to the ground floor and then home but Peter stopped himself. He wasn’t going down anymore. His life was upstairs now. Another reminder that he literally and figuratively lived on a different level than everybody else.

“You coming, Parker?” Eddie asked, holding the door open for him. The other interns leaned forward and openly stared at him.

Peter awkwardly clenched his fists and then replied, “Nah…I’m…I’m going to go up.”

“Oh…yeah, well, I’ll smell ya, later,” Eddie said, stepping back.

“Right back at you,” he replied, nodding to him and the doors sealed between them.

Peter stared at the reflective surface, remembering a couple years ago, being on the other side of those doors and nervously staring at his warped reflection. Back then, all he’d been worried about was being able to create a relationship with his father…

He had the relationship he dreamed for…but, now he had the additional price that came along with it.

He rubbed his face, trying to dispel the nervous feelings that cropped up. As he moved, his phone shifted in his pocket and all his worries melted away as he remembered what he had planned tonight.

He wasn’t going to have to worry about the press or being Tony Stark’s son. Tonight, he was just going to be Peter and he was going to spend time with Wade.

 _On a date_ , his subconscious subtly reminded him.

Peter went to the other elevator and hit the up button.

 _Yes, on a date and all a date may entail._ Peter paused and repeated the last half of the statement to himself, “All a date may entail.”

He flushed to himself as he imagined physically doing what he had done with Gwen…but with Wade instead. It was weird. He wasn’t going to lie. Would he let Wade kiss him tonight? He wondered what his lips would feel like. Would it feel rough because of the scars?

That was another thing. Peter was first attracted to Gwen because of her beauty and then fell in love with her personality. Peter was attracted to Wade for his personality but how would he feel about his features in the long run?

The elevator opened for him. It was empty so he pressed the button for his floor and then closed his eyes as he imagined being physical with Wade.

He imagined pressing the larger man into his bed. He imagined rough lips and rougher hands sliding across his skin. He imagined the soft pants Wade would make, similar to his own.

When the doors opened, he thought the noises he heard were still a part of his imaginings until the very long, drawn out groan interrupted his thoughts and made him snap his eyes open. He walked into the living room and backpedaled immediately, gasping, “ _Jesus_! _You two have a room_! I am scarred for life!”

Peter rubbed his eyes furiously but, nope, he couldn’t get the image of his father and Steve, both half naked and rubbing against each other, with Steve’s hand in Tony’s pants.

 _Nope, nope, nope_. Don’t think about it!

Both men were scrambling to right their clothes and his dad gasped, “Sorry, Pete! I forgot you were coming back!”

“We didn’t mean to stay out here!” Steve apologized.

Peter covered his eyes and stated, “I am going to my room. _Please_ , be quiet.”

He blindly walked into the living room with his hand still over his eyes and walked in the general direction of the hall.

“We’re decent,” his father informed him as he went past the spot where they were located.

“I do not want any more added to this memory, including seeing you two in your current states,” Peter retorted. His Spidey Sense barely flared and he hit the wall, making his dad snort.

“To your left, Pete,” Steve sighed and Peter found the hallway with the direction.

He removed his hand from his eyes and, without looking back, he waved it over his head and said, “Carry on. I’ll ask Friday when it’s safe to come out again.”

“…Well, if you insist,” he heard Tony murmur.

“Tony-!” Steve hissed and then moaned.

Peter picked up his step and turned on his music as soon as he entered his room before he could hear anymore. He fell back onto his bed, chuckling to himself. Those two were always ridiculously affectionate but he was happy to see this media storm didn't change that aspect of their lives. Even though it was awkward as hell, it also made his heart feel lighter. His parents still could find joy in all of this chaos...maybe Peter can do the same. 

\---

Peter texted Wade about what they were going to do and the other man was cryptically vague. All he knew was that Wade wanted him to web over to the roof of a building downtown at 8 o’clock.

It’d take him twenty minutes to get down there, at most, so it left him with a lot of time to chill.

He knew he had to avoid all things internet so he decided he’d kill the time more productively.

He grabbed his suit and webbed out of there.

\---

“Perfecttttt,” Tony groaned. He was sitting on top of Steve with his prick inside him. He'd just found his prostate and Tony was in nirvana.

They were in their bedroom where no one would walk in on them and interrupt their lovemaking…or so he thought.

“Sir, your son has left the premises in his Spider-Man uniform,” Friday announced.

Tony sat up so sharply that Steve yelped in pain.

“Oh, I'm sooo sorry, babe,” Tony winced. He pulled himself off the rest of Steve more gently and murmured, “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” Steve grimaced. “But Peter – Friday, did he really leave?”

“Yes, sir.”

Tony scrambled off Steve and gasped, “We have to go after him! Why did he leave?? I told him to put Spidey on hold!”

“Wait, Tony,” Steve said, grabbing his arm. “If we go running after him, it'll only draw more attention to him. Let's call him over his communicator. He probably has it on him.”

Tony deflated slightly but agreed, “Alright.” He glanced guiltily down at Steve's flagging erection and murmured, “Sorry about that.”

Steve got to his feet and murmured, “You didn't come either. We're in the same boat.” He added with a smirk, “This might be Peter's payback for walking in on us.”

“Little brat better have a good reason…” Tony murmured, pulling on his boxers. “Friday, connect me to Peter!” He waited a few seconds for the connection, and then he growled, as menacing as possible, “ _Peter_.”

“What’s up, Dad?” Peter replied.

“Well I was about to climax but then Friday informed me you left the building even though I told you not to do so,” Tony grumbled.

“Ew, too much info,” Peter groaned.

“What are you doing, Pete?” Steve asked before Tony could further scar his son.

“I’m being careful. I just…I can’t do anything else,” Peter replied. “I can’t even go online.”

“You’re risking exposing yourself,” Tony retorted.

“I know, Dad,” Peter sighed. “I'm going to stay in uniform the entire time. Peter Parker won't be making any appearances in New York today. I'm an adult. I can handle this.”

“Let him swing around,” Steve murmured into his shoulder, lightly kissing his flesh.

“Be back by 9,” Tony stated.

“Dad, I'm not twelve,” Peter retorted.

“Fine, midnight,” he replied.

“Daaadddd,” Peter groaned.

“Please come home by then otherwise your father might have an aneurism,” Steve interceded.

“…Alright…Pops.”

Steve sat up straighter and a slight flush crept into his cheeks.

“H-Have fun but be careful,” Steve stuttered. He was trying on his daddie shoes and Tony thought it was adorable.

“I will,” Peter droned. “See you later.”

Friday wordlessly cut the connection and Tony leaned into Steve’s side flirtatiously murmuring, “ _Pops_.”

Steve chuckled and leaned into Tony. He whispered wishfully, “He actually remembered it. For a while there, I thought he forgot about it.”

Tony leaned over and murmured into Steve’s ear, “No one can forget ‘Pops.’”

He bit Steve’s ear and Steve gasped, “We should try again. Third time’s the charm.”

“Definitely,” Tony replied, rubbing his face into Steve’s neck. “But, first I need to use the restroom.”

Steve snorted and Tony slipped out of the bed. As he walked away, Steve called after him, “Don't keep me waiting too long.”

“I expect you to be nice and ready for me when I get back, _Pops_ ,” Tony retorted over his shoulder.

Steve fell back into the headboard with a devilish smile.

Tony stepped into the connecting bathroom and closed the door behind him. He paused as he reassessed his actions and then stated, “Friday, keep tabs on Peter. Track him through his communicator and listen in. If he needs help, _for_ _anything_ , contact me immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

Tony nodded to himself and then went over to the toilet to flush it and add to his deception. He washed his hands in the sink and then returned to the bedroom.

Acting like nothing had happened between him and his AI, Tony stalked to the bed with a feral grin and jumped onto Steve with a growl.

His husband laughed and kissed him none the wiser of his actions.

\---

The city was quieter. Workweek nights were usually slower but Peter darkly wondered if it was somehow connected to the drama of his reveal?

Either way, he stopped a mugging and posed for half a dozen tourist photos. It was a normal night. No one was staring at him or whispering about him. With the mask, he was only the same-old Spider-Man.

He went early to the meeting spot for his date and was surprised to find Wade already waiting and decked out in his Deadpool regalia. He was sitting on the ledge of the twenty story building, with his feet dangling over the edge.

Wade sat up straighter when he saw him and excitedly waved, “ _Hey_ , _Spidey_!”

“Hey, Deadpool,” Peter replied, sticking with their codenames. They were in costume and it was a habit.

Peter crossed the roof and sat beside Wade, bumping lightly into his side as he did.

A white bag with a grease stain and a logo he didn’t recognize sat on Wade’s other side. He could smell freshly cooked meat and southwestern spices coming from it.

“Are those the infamous chimichangas I’ve heard so much about?”

“Si, mi amigo!” Wade replied, drawing up the bag with relish.

There were three white foam containers within and he opened all three displaying the chimichangas, rice, and beans.

“They look like burritos…” Peter deadpanned. He'd never had chimichangas before but, from the way Wade always talked about them, Peter was expecting something more...spectacular. 

“They are so much more than that!! Try it!” Wade gasped.

Chuckling, Peter rolled up his mask to expose his mouth and took off his gloves so they wouldn’t get dirty. He picked up one of the cheesy, tortilla wraps and the took a bite.

A burst of flavor exploded across his tongue and he moaned appreciatingly. Wade’s resulting smile was so big that Peter could see it through his mask.

Peter swallowed his first bite and determined, “It’s pretty good.”

“It’s more than good, it's a way of life,” Wade countered and grabbed his own piece. He didn't take off his gloves like Peter had but he did shove up his mask in order to take a big bite.

Peter kept eating, watching him curiously.

“How'd it happen? Where you born with it?” Peter asked, knowing he didn't have to elaborate.

Wade pulled his mask a little lower so his nose was no longer showing and murmured, “Diving right into the serious stuff…”

“If you don’t want to –,” Peter said hurriedly.

“Nah…Nah, we can talk serious…it’ll make this – _us_ more serious, right?” Wade asked, glancing at Peter hopefully.

“I want to get to know you better,” Peter agreed. He reached over and grasped Wade’s arm. He was glad for the mask as it hid his flush and he whispered, “My knowing you better will definitely make this more serious…But, if this is too fast or soon, you don’t have to…”

Wade slumped a little and put his hand over Peter’s. Rubbing his thumb lightly over Peter’s knuckles, he began his tale of Department X.

Peter dutifully listened and finished off two more chimichangas as he did. The hand he had on Wade’s arm eventually slipped down but Wade kept his hand connected to his and their entwined hands lay between them. Peter turned his hand over and carded his fingers through Wade’s. Wade sat up a little straighter after he did that.

Wade’s story led to Peter telling him about how he became Spider-Man and his Uncle Ben’s death.

And then Gwen’s death.

The sunset played out before them and the city lights blinked on, one by one. Even though there were barely any clouds out, the stars were few. The city was bright enough to obstruct the light of the night sky. It was still warm as the cool of night had yet to blanket the city but Peter found himself leaning into the other man’s side.

They kept talking.

With the big things out in the open, the smaller things flowed out easier.

It felt therapeutic revealing all of the secrets he usually kept close to his heart. He obviously couldn’t talk with many people about the circumstances that led him to becoming Spider-Man. Not even his Aunt May knew about that part of his life.

The hours ticked by and they left behind their serious talk to laugh about the little nuances in life.

Peter would randomly check his phone and the countdown of his hours turned into minutes. Midnight was upon him before he knew it.

He double checked the time but it was true. He gasped, “I can't believe I just spent the last few hours sitting in one place just talking.” He turned to Wade and gasped, “And _you're_ not even fidgeting a little!”

“What can I say? You're very captivating,” Wade flirted.

“Dude…This is surreal,” Peter murmured.

“You’re surreal,” Wade mimicked with a purr.

“Shut up,” Peter said, elbowing him embarrassedly. “My dad wants me back by midnight, I have to go back to the Tower soon…”

“My own personal Cinderella,” Wade sighed.

“And you, my Prince Charming,” Peter countered.

Wade barked out laughing, like it was the funniest thing Peter had ever said. He wiped an imaginary tear from his mask’s eye and asked, “Will you leave behind something for me to remember you by, princess?”

“Baby boy,” Peter corrected, liking the other endearment more.

Wade leaned back, smiling fondly at him and repeated, “ _Baby_ _boy_.”

Peter stared at that smile, remembering his earlier thoughts about kissing him. Both of them still had their masks half on. He could do it. He could easily lean forward and kiss him. It would be so simple, _so_ _easy_ , and so…right.

Peter bit down on his lip and Wade’s smile got a fraction smaller. He breathlessly asked, “Baby boy?”

Peter put his weight down onto the hand that Wade still held and leaned toward Wade.

The clock on his phone ticked away the last few seconds of August ninth and, in those few remaining seconds, Wade gasped hopefully, “Peter?”

Peter's hand tightened on Wade's and the clock on his phone changed to twelve...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the clock strikes midnight and we won't find out what happens until next time! XD
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as possible! <3


	6. Wednesday, August 10th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus! A lot of things have happened in my life since I last posted that have kept me busy but now (hopefully) it's all done! Fingers crossed! I've been making changes to all the chapters I haven't posted yet but have also been adding more content to them (The second date with Wade wasn't originally in this chapter) and I also went to change a SINGLE line in [August 20th](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2082486/chapters/4530894) ....and ended up adding 4,000 more words to the story....Sooo I guess the moral of my notes is, when you give me the power to go back and change things I take it WAY out of proportion! XD 
> 
> tl;dr I'm back. New chapter. August 20th also got hit with newness.

Peter wasn’t going to dance around it any longer.

By the way Wade whispered his name, Peter knew Wade wanted him.

And by the Peter's pulse rose upon that simple utterance, he knew he was interested in the man too. 

So the decision on how to act was fairly easy.

Peter leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips into Wade’s.

Wade went still beneath him. Peter leaned into him and opening his mouth to encourage his reaction.

But Wade didn’t respond to Peter’s kiss. He didn’t move, not even to take a breath. He was still as a statue.

Peter snapped back as if Wade had burned him. Could he be wrong? What if it was _only_ flirting to Wade? What if Peter just took it too far?

“…Is this real?” Wade whispered, “Am I dreaming?” Wade clutched his head and cursed, “This is why I shouldn’t read fanfics before bedtime.”

Peter’s shoulders slumped forward and he smiled at the madman.

“Wade this is real.”

“That is exactly what Dream Peter would say,” Wade countered.

Peter rolled his eyes and then pinched Wade’s cheek.

“Ow,” Wade murmured, sounding offended.

“This is real and you are spoiling our first kiss,” Peter dryly stated.

“First?” Wade repeated, his voice almost tragic in its level of hopefulness.

Peter grabbed a fistful of Wade’s uniform and drew him toward him, murmuring, “C’mere.”

Wade gasped as their mouths collided again. It took him a few seconds to react, but he finally grasped Peter’s shoulders and leaned into the kiss with a sigh.

Peter was wrong about the texture of his lips. They were rough around the edges but his kiss was soft. It was like the gentlest of caresses, as if Peter were something precious. Even his hands held him softly. It made whatever annoyance he felt from their mess up of a first kiss melt away and Peter was lost to the feeling of being so perfectly cherished by another being.

They pulled away from each other slowly but their hands only tightened on each other as if fearing the other would pull totally away.

“Whoa,” Wade whispered and Peter chuckled.

“I think that is the best reaction I have ever gotten from kissing someone,” Peter stated.

“I can do even better reactions,” Wade gasped excitedly, leaning in for another kiss.

Peter returned the kiss for a few seconds, but grabbed his things and then slipped out of Wade’s hold. Wade flapped his arms around to regain his balance as he lost his center of gravity from Peter’s sudden absence.  He looked down the wall to where Peter was sticking to it, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

“I am late,” Peter stated. “I need to get back before my dad sends the Avengers out looking for me. Your kisses and reactions are just _too_ distracting.”

Wade grinned down at him and said, “We’ll have to do a follow up date with no Stark interference.”

“Tomorrow night…I mean technically tonight? You know, Saturday night?” Peter stated, hopefully.

“Not going to leave me with a token to find you, Cinderella?” Wade asked teasingly.

Peter crawled up the wall and murmured, "I have no token to leave fair prince. Accept one last kiss?"

Wade nodded and Peter crawled up the rest of the wall to reach Wade. He pressed a kiss into Wade’s mouth one more time and and Wade returned the kiss with a smile curling his lips. For a moment, Peter's entire world was him, Wade, and their mouths. 

He didn't want to leave. He wanted to keep kissing Wade and exploring these new feelings growing within him...but he knew his father was already worrying and it'd be a matter of time before he started looking for Peter. Peter was not ready for Wade to meet the parents just yet. 

Peter shot his webshooter at the opposite building and swung away, breaking their kiss. Wade grinned and waved wildly as he flew away. 

\---

Tony was pacing and Steve was sitting on the couch watching him.

According to Friday, Peter had mostly been in one area the _entire_ night.

And he'd been with Deadpool. Deadpool of all people!

Why was he with that psychopath??

In his pacing, he kept an eye on the digital clock on his wall. When it turned to midnight, Tony snapped, “Alright! We have to go after him!”

“He will be here, Tony,” Steve sighed. “Give him time.”

Tony turned to his husband, about to argue the fact that Peter was with Deadpool, but stopped himself. Steve didn't know he had Friday keeping tabs on Peter. He had even pushed for Tony to let Peter have his space…but, with all Peter was going through, and now with Deadpool in the mix, how was he supposed to not be involved??

Instead, he rationed, “He's my son, Steve. I have the right to worry!”

He continued his pacing and, at first he thought Steve wasn't going to reply and have an end to the conversation but, after an extended silence, Steve stated in a quiet voice, “We may not be related but…Peter’s…He's my son too, Tony...”

Tony instantly felt like a douche and turned to his husband with broken expression. He sat beside Steve and grasped his hands, whispering, “ _I know_. Even though we haven't even discussed adoption with him yet, he is your son too. You've been there for him longer than even I have! He loves you too! I… I…You know me…I worry.”

Steve lightly grasped his hand and whispered, “He's a grownup. You have to put some trust in him or you'll just push him away.”

Steve’s gaze was soft and his words were rational. Tony fell into Steve’s side and sighed, “I know…”

“Give him another hour, if he isn’t home by then, I’ll be right next to you in searching the city,” Steve said, wrapping an arm around Tony.

Tony mumbled something incomprehensible and wrapped his arms around his husband’s torso tightly. He was tempted to check his phone to see the updates Friday had been sending him on Peter but forwent it to stay pressed against Steve.

Peter wasn’t home until a little past 12:30.

Tony sat up sharply when his son walked into the living room.

“What are you two still doing up?” Peter asked curiously, pulling off his mask.

“Waiting for you,” Steve murmured, laying a hand onto Tony’s thigh.

“You’re a little past the curfew,” Tony grumbled and Steve’s hold on his leg tightened in warning.

“…Sorry, lost track of time,” Peter apologized sheepishly. “I’m going to bed now!”

He dashed away before either of them could reply.

“He seems much better,” Steve observed. “The time out did him good.”

Tony nodded and mumbled unintelligibly but his mind was racing.

What was Peter doing with Deadpool??

\---

Peter slept through the night. No nightmares or lingering fears about the reveal of his identity kept him up.

He practically fell asleep with a smile on his face.

He woke up to the sound of Pepper’s voice demanding, “Get up, Peter! No more sleeping in! It’s time for business! You’ve avoided me long enough!”

Peter groaned and dragged it out as he covered his head with his pillow.

“What time is it?” He moaned.

“Late enough,” Pepper promptly replied and sat on the edge of his bed, making him bounce slightly.

Peter peeked out from underneath his pillow and glared at the redhead. He grumbled, “What do you need me for?”

She held up a small stack of papers and stated, “I want your approval for your statements to the media.”

Peter groaned again and burrowed back under his pillow.

“Hey!” She exclaimed and sharply tapped the top of his pillow with her papers. “Wakey time, Pete.”

“Fine,” he groaned and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. As soon as his hands were free, Pepper shoved her paperwork into them.

“The top forms just need your approval,” she stated. “They are statements that will be made in your name. To sum it up, you will be telling the media that you are Tony’s son, you love him very much, you are happy you were able to reunite, and you wish the media to respect your and your family’s privacy during this time.”

Pepper had highlighted everywhere Peter needed to sign or initial and, as he did so, he asked, “How much have we told them? About our history?”

“They know you have only been in contact the last few years and said that it was because Tony was respecting your parent’s wishes. We insinuated that those wishes were that you continued to believe the Parkers were your parents.”

“And what about that Mary was my mother and I was born out of an affair?” Peter asked, pausing in his writing.

“We decided it would be best to keep your mother’s identity a secret. We told the press it was to protect her identity and reputation. All they know is that she was a close confidant to the Parkers and trusted you with them.”

Peter frowned bitterly at the paperwork in front of him. Feeling like a petulant child, he whined, “But _she’s_ my mom…”

He understood why Pepper and the rest of the media relations team would want to keep it under wraps that Peter was born from an affair with a married woman…it would put them in a bad light.

But he didn’t like denying she was his mom. It didn’t feel right.

His frown didn’t go away as he signed off on the last of the paperwork. Pepper wordlessly took it from him and, after a slight hesitation, squeezed his arm. She whispered, “In a few years, we can let the truth slip but, right now, we need to do this for the company, the Avengers, and, most importantly, for you, Tony, and Steve. You don’t need any more _additional_ unnecessary grief right now.”

Peter nodded, understanding, but he still couldn’t wipe the frown off his face.

Pepper sighed heavily and said, “…Also, your lab has been closed for the day.”

Peter looked at Pepper with horror and gasped, “What happened?! Did one of the compounds we were working on explode?!”

“No,” she whispered, looking at him with pity. She lightly rubbed his arm and murmured, “One of the interns took some pictures of you while you were working in the lab and sold it to US Weekly.” Peter’s shoulders drooped and Pepper continued, “We let the young man go but the others are being briefed on proper decorum and being reminded of their confidentiality agreements in lieu of working today.”

Peter groaned and dropped his head into his hands. If his sudden stardom hadn’t ostracized him enough from the other interns these classes surely will. He moaned, “Anything else to tell me? Has someone broken into my aunt’s place for my baby pictures yet?”

“...This is the worst of it right now, Peter,” Pepper consoled, her hand moved from his arm to his back and rubbed comforting circles there. “It will die down eventually.”

She tactfully avoided his question but Peter’s head shot up and he gasped, “If this is ‘the worst’ then what else is there??”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” she stated firmly. “Let me take care of all of the bad stuff. You just keep living your life.”

Peter dropped his head and murmured, “What life?”

Pepper lightly sighed again and asked, “Do you want me to get your dad?”

Peter shook his head and murmured, “No, don’t bother him or Steve…I don’t want them worrying about me…”

“Then is there anything I can do for you?” Pepper countered.

Peter shook his head again and said, “I need to take a shower.”

“Okay, I’ve set up base in the dining room. When you are done, we can all share breakfast together.”

Peter nodded and Pepper worriedly eyed him before pressing a light kiss onto his forehead, collecting the papers, and leaving him alone.

Peter stared miserably at his hands for a moment and then went into his bathroom and took the shower he threatened to take.

His mood only seemed to grow fouler as he was alone with his thoughts.

He was determined to look into what else was happening as soon as he was out from under the water. He dried off and got dressed quickly but, when he tried to turn on his computer, nothing happened.

Thinking it was a glitch with the hardware, Peter said, “Friday, turn on my computer for me.”

“I am sorry, Peter, I cannot do that.”

Peter clenched his fists, the answer to his question already dawning on him, and demanded, “Why?”

“Your father has stated you are to be disallowed internet access until he states otherwise for your own protection,” the AI replied.

All of Peter’s upset boiled wildly in his belly and he stormed out of his room.

Tony was in the kitchen with Steve and they seemed to be working together, making crepes.

“Morning, P –,” his dad started to say.

“What am I, a child??” Peter demanded, “What’s with the parental control? Why can’t I go on the internet??”

Both men immediately stopped what they were doing and Pepper charged in from the dining room after Peter’s exclamation. Tony glanced at the others and then refocused his gaze on Peter before finally saying, “I am just trying to protect you. You don’t need to worry yourself with what they are saying.”

Peter was clenching his fists so tightly together that his nails were starting to dig too deeply into his skin. He could start bleeding at any moment. He felt like his voice would be shaky but it came out clear as he stated, “I cannot go outside. I cannot talk to people about my mom. I cannot participate in my internship. _I cannot go on the internet_. Will I even be able to go back to school on the 22 nd?”

Pepper and his father exchanged loaded glances, making their answer totally clear.

“You keep telling me to live my life but my life is completely restricted!” Peter hissed. “The only time I’m free is when I’m Spider-Man but, even then, you don’t want me to go out in my costume!”  Peter took a deep breath and then stated, “Unlock my computer. I am going on the internet.”

His dad’s cheeks were flushed with emotion and he opened his mouth to retort but Steve grasped his arm and stepped between him and Peter.

“We’ll do that for you, Peter,” Steve murmured, apologetically.

“Good,” Peter said, nodding curtly. He flexed his fists releasing the tension and repeated, “Good.” He spun around and went back to his room.

Peter went straight to his computer and pressed the power button. The machine hummed to life and Peter sat in front of it. He logged onto the internet as soon as he was able but then paused as he stared at his search engine, not knowing where to go first. He was apprehensive about searching himself. He knew some of it wouldn’t be good…hell, most of it would probably be awkward or embarrassing.

He finally decided to check the sites he visited more frequently, Youtube being the first. He glanced at his subscriptions, and was happy to see none of the people he was following took an interest in Tony Stark’s secret child. But, then he went to the trending videos and saw three about him in the top ten.

One was a video from his high school graduation, someone who had bought the graduation on DVD probably recorded his part and posted it. Peter bitterly bit his lip and did not click it. The video icon was of him and Gwen embracing. The faded memory of kissing Gwen on the stage made a pulse of grief thrum through him.

The second wasn’t bad. Actually, it made Peter laugh. Someone had taken several pictures of Tony and Peter from the internet and photoshopped them onto Mufasa and Simba’s faces from the _Lion King._ “The Circle of Life” playing in the background with their faces imposed on the lions face from different scenes from the movie. It was well made and hilarious. He saved it to his favorite’s playlist.

The last was posted by a famous Youtube personality that researched and gossiped about celebrities. The video was titled “Who is Peter Parker?” It was over twenty minutes long, an eternity in Youtube, but it already had over a million hits.

Peter got through the first five minutes before exiting the page. All the good humor he garnered from the prior video disappeared.

The guy was reviewing several theories. The first two or three minutes were dedicated to the first theory, that he was Tony Stark’s clone. He compared photos of Peter and Tony and debunked it, Peter after all, inherited some of his mother’s features.

The second theory was what made him turn it off because it was that he was a wannabe celebrity. He said they purposely release his identity to get Peter thrown into the "it" scene. He said Peter wanted this and was enjoying it. He described Peter’s personality as being shallow and vain and started to cite examples and Peter turned off the video.

His misguided interpretations made Peter’s stomach feel upset.

Peter did not feel up to searching for anymore. Instead, he fell into his bed and grabbed his phone. He texted Wade, ‘Why do people suck?’

‘Who do I have to kill?’ was Wade’s instant reply.

Peter snorted and replied, ‘No one.’

‘Whoever hurts my baby boy deserves it and more,’ Wade countered.

Peter’s stomach flipped nervously. Wade was being serious.

He texted, ‘Don’t hurt anyone, Wade.’

‘>:(’ was Wade’s reply so Peter copy and pasted the same face back to him in response.

After a few minutes, Wade replied with, ‘Fine.’

Peter sighed deeply and texted, ‘Thank you.’

He stared at his screen for a moment and then typed out, ‘Do you still want to do something tonight?’

‘Hell yeah!’ Wade replied, making Peter smile and the nervous feeling, that was starting to creep into his belly, dissipated.

‘Same time, same place?’ Peter asked.

‘I’ll be waiting! ;D’

Peter put down his phone with a smile and then rolled onto his back to stare up at his ceiling. He thought back to the prior night and the kisses they shared. He lightly touched his lips as he remembered the soft feel of Wade’s. He thought he would feel weird about kissing Wade, he was a man after all, but…the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind in the moment. Peter wanted to kiss him again and he wanted to do it properly, with no masks, but he didn’t know how he was going to do that without bringing him to the Tower and he didn’t think he was ready to reveal to the team, nonetheless his father, that he was dating the infamous Merc with a Mouth.

 _And what a mouth he had_ …Peter thought with a smile, running his fingertips over his bottom lip.

It would be hours until he saw Wade again. He could spend that time as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but Peter didn’t feel like he could expend enough energy to take down criminals.

He also didn’t feel like talking to his parents. Call it latent teenage angst or justifiable anger but he was still angry by what his father had done, even if it was to protect him. Internally, he knew he was overreacting and he’d berate himself later for his temper tantrum. But, at that moment, he knew he wasn’t going to go back out there. He wanted to be alone.

Peter sat up and walked around his room. Tony had given it to him last year. It was a place for him to call home when he was out late as Spidey or at the Tower. It was nowhere near as lived in as his place at Aunt May’s but it had acquired pieces of his life overtime.

He put up a few posters, had a closet with clothes, a desk with a computer and notes from the lab scattered throughout. It had been designed by professionals before he moved in and relics from the designer’s flair could be seen in the rug, the random portrait of a close up of lizard scales, and the modern headboard for his bed. It was his home away from home but…it currently felt confining.

He picked up his scattered clothes and went through what little files he had. He made a few notes but could do nothing more without a microcope and his slides. He then went into his closet and organized and then reorganized his set up. He was teetering on the edge of color-coding his socks when he came across his old camera.

His dad had given him a new one for Christmas and it was sitting in his bedroom at Aunt May’s. Peter had originally taken his old camera to the Tower with the idea of repairing the cam system within his lens. But, his dad didn’t have the proper supplies, and Peter never got around to fixing it since he had the new one.

He brought it out of the closet and sat with it on his bed. He shot a few test pictures and found the images were still blurry. He took it apart to finally figure out what was going on inside.

Working on it was great. It forced him to focus. To not think about the press, his dad, or anything else.

There was a light knock on his door and his dad asked, his voice muffled, “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Peter sighed the word loud enough and his father stepped in.

“Are you going to eat any breakfast?” Tony asked, crossing his arms over his torso.

“’m not hungry right now,” Peter mumbled, playing with the stray bits of his camera.

“I…” Tony paused and Peter looked up at him. “I’m sorry for restricting the computer without talking about it with you first. It was stupid of me…”

Peter dropped his gaze and shrugged as he murmured, “s’alright.”

“This is all my fault,” his dad reasoned. “I’m just trying to help you the best I can. But…well, Steve says I can be _too_ _helpful_ sometimes, especially when I get anxious. And I am anxious as hell over this entire situation…so… _sorry_.”

“It’s okay, dad. _Really_ ,” Peter emphasized.

“...Did you go online?”

“For a little…”

“And,” his father murmured uncertainly. “Everything is okay?”

“I’ll survive it,” Peter replied.

“…Alright, well _…we’re here for you_.”

“I know…” Peter sighed.

His dad looked like he didn’t want to leave but he nodded and repeated, “Alright…Alright, well, we’ll be right outside.”

Peter looked down at his disassembled camera and then stated, “I might go out too.”

His dad looked relieved until Peter wordlessly got up, crossed the room, and grabbed his backpack.

“You’re going _out-out_ ,” Tony repeated darkly with new understanding.

“I want to fix my camera. I figure I swing over to the nearest lens repair shop, pop in and then pop out,” Peter stated.

“ _Pete,_ ” Tony hissed. “Happy can pick up what you need!”

“I’m going to be careful…I just…I just need to go out. I feel like I’m suffocating.”

“You were out yesterday,” his dad argued.

“ _As_ _Spidey_. I just want to go out and do normal Peter Parker stuff _like go to the repair shop_. I’ll be in and out. I’ll be in my Spidey uniform longer to get there than being in civilian clothes.”

“It’s too risky.”

“If I don’t take risks then I might as well be a shut in the rest of my life,” Peter countered. He tossed some clothes into his bag and said, “The worst that can happen is that the paparazzi find me before I can get back in my webs. Then I’ll just weather through it and grab the first cab I come across.” Peter shouldered his bag and said, “I need to cross this hurdle. It’s my life now.”

\---

Peter and his dad argued over it a while longer until Steve stepped in. He didn’t seem happy about Peter’s decision either but, he agreed with him that it was his decision and he should try it at least.

Peter changed into his Spider-Man uniform as his parents argued about Peter leaving. With his backpack of civilian clothing on, and his mask in hand, Peter embraced both men, effectively shutting them up.

He hadn’t left the building yet but he already felt lighter with his decision.

“I’ll be back soon and I’ll keep my communicator in even when I’m not in uniform,” Peter promised.

Tony wrapped his arms tightly around Peter and pressed his face into the side of his neck. He whispered, “Please be careful and safe and call for _anything_.”

Steve wound his arms around both of them and murmured, “We’ll be waiting for you. Enjoy your time out.”

Peter nodded, the move could be felt by both men and they separated.

Upon seeing the frown splitting his father’s face, Peter promised, “I’ll be right back.”

He pulled on his mask and walked out to the launch pad. He jumped off it without looking back.

He’d repaired his camera before, when he didn’t have a backup to fall back on, and knew where to go. He found an alley near the building and quickly donned his civilian clothing. It was a cloudy day but the humidity was thick and the 80 some degrees actually felt like 90. He had to wear long sleeves to hide his uniform and was sweating in seconds. The last touch he added to his disguise were his sunglasses and then he slung his empty backpack on his shoulder and hurried into the nearby air conditioned store.

There was a bell on the door that clanged, announcing his arrival to the employees. The front of the store was all windows and made the tiny store bright enough that Peter felt comfortable leaving his sunglasses on. A man came out of the back and called out, “Hello, how can I help you?”

Cameras and individual lenses and other accessories lined the walls and counters but Peter bypassed it all. He went up to the counter the man stood behind and said, “I need some parts for my camera.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out the list he had prepared. He asked, “Do you have all of these?”

The man, Harold as stated by his name tag, put on some glasses and peered at the list. He nodded and said, “Yes, yes…and….yes, we have all of these. I just need to go into the back to retrieve them.”

“Alright,” Peter replied, smiling widely. Mostly, he was smiling about the fact that Harold didn’t seem to recognize him.

Harold disappeared into the back and Peter let his eyes meander over the different cameras for sale. He quickly found himself in front of the camera bags and inspected them closely, wondering how well they’d hold together strapped onto his shoulder as he was swinging through the city.

Harold came back after five or so minutes, holding a paper bag. He announced, “We’ve got it all. Anything else for you, sir?”

Peter glanced at the bags one last time but decided against it. His backpack worked fine and was nondescript. More people owned plain backpacks than camera bags. He answered, “Nah, I’m good.”

Harold entered in his purchases at the register and Peter went back to the counter, pulling out his wallet.

“It’ll be $50.43.”

“Ouch,” Peter murmured, handing over his credit card. Harold inserted it into the chip reader with a chuckle. His eyes glazed over the card but then he did a quick double check and Peter winced. With half the card sticking out, his first name was indistinguishable but ‘Parker’ was easy to see. Harold glanced from him to the card, back to the card, and then back to Peter again.

Recognition finally dawned in the older man’s eyes and Peter deflated.

He just wanted to be another stranger and buy some parts…

“A-Are you..?”

“Peter Parker,” he sighed. There was no use in denying it at this point.

He gasped, “It-It is amazing to meet you!” He held out his hand and Peter reluctantly shook it. “May I take your picture and put it on my wall?”

He nodded to the wall behind him with half a dozen pictures of b-list or lower celebrities.

“Err….” Peter said, feeling awkward. A shadow of the video he watched earlier came to mind and the Youtuber mockingly whispered in his ear, “He’s just doing this for attention.” Peter’s stomach flipped. He didn’t want this.

The card reader beeped, signaling its completion. Peter’s hand shot forward, holding it out for his card. Harold returned it but continued talking, “I would be honored to have you on there! Maybe your father could join you? Is he outside?”

Peter shoved his card in his pocket and grabbed the bag off the counter. He quickly stated, “He’s not. I’ll have to take a raincheck on that picture!”

 He all but ran out of that store and Harold called after him, yelling, “Wait!”

Harold followed him and Peter stupidly pushed a door that was supposed to be pulled. He stumbled into the glass but corrected his footing, feeling like a duckling out of water with his awkward footing. Harold grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him back to help straighten him.

Peter felt his shirt collar pull back and his neck and his Spider-Man uniform be exposed to the cool air of the store.

Peter dropped his package and grasped his shirt as forcefully as he could, pulling it tightly across the back of his neck. He broke himself from the man’s hold and slammed himself into the glass to escape. He heard it crack behind him but he didn’t notice as he was too busy staring at the man in horror.

Did he see? _Did he see it??_

Harold gasped, “ _Oh my God_! Are you alright??”

Peter glanced behind him at the rather large crack in the glass. A normal person would have probably been hurt… _Peter_ might even be hurt but his body was pumping with so much adrenaline he wouldn’t even notice at that point.

“I-I’m sorry,” Peter gasped, still clutching his shirt tightly, afraid to let go. “I…I’ll send you a check for the glass.”

With that, he picked up his bag and ran out of there. Harold called after him but Peter couldn’t make out what he said and didn’t stop to see what was wrong. He ran until there were no more people and jumped down the first empty alley he came across.

He collapsed behind a dumpster, still clutching his shirt tightly to his body like it was a lifeline. He took several deep breaths, needing the oxygen to help keep his body from shaking more than it already was.

Once he caught his breath, he reached up to the communicator in his ear and lightly pressed the coms button. Feeling like a hopeless child, Peter whispered, “Dad…can you pick me up?”

\---

Tony followed the communicator’s signal to where Peter was. He had been expecting him to be waiting on the side of the street. His son sounded unusual but he was clearly alone. He heard no voices in the background so he had to be safe from the paparazzi.

Happy drove him in one of his boring cars with tinted windows. The press outside didn’t even give it a passing glance.

The street his reading led him to was practically empty. Tony stepped out of the car and called out to his son, “Peter?”

Peter scurried out of an alley, one hand clutching the front of his shirt tightly, and gasped, “I’m here! Let’s go!”

“What happened?” Tony demanded, not liking how nervous Peter looked.

“It’s nothing! Get in the car, Dad!” Peter pushed him back inside but Tony did not drop it.

As soon as Peter closed the door, Tony demanded to know, “What happened?”

Happy started to drive without a word and Peter sighed, relaxing his hold on his shirt.

“This guy recognized me and pulled on my shirt. He almost saw my Spider-Man uniform.”

Tony was instantly enraged. Who would dare touch Peter?? And what did they do to him!? Peter looked like he saw a ghost! He demanded, “Who is he!? Who put a hand on you??”

“He’s a _nobody_ , Dad.”

“But he laid a hand on you!” Tony hissed, “We can get him on battery charges!”

“He didn’t mean it like that!” Peter gasped. “H-He was just trying to help me. I almost tripped when I tried to open a door the wrong way. He was helping me straighten up.”

Tony grasped his arm, his anger melting away some with this new information, and whispered, “Alright, then what’s upsetting you?”

“He almost saw my Spidey uniform!” Peter hissed, clutching his shirt tighter to his chest. “And it can happen again! Next time the person might be pulling on my shirt for a comment or a picture or even an _autograph_! How am I supposed to keep this a secret?!”

“…Well, first I wouldn’t go around yelling about it,” Happy stated from the front of the car.

“ _Happy_ ,” both Peter and Tony groaned.

“Just providing input, Sirs,” Happy replied.

Peter sighed heavily and dropped his head into his hands.

Tony regarded his son’s slumped form worriedly. He carefully lay his hand on Peter’s back and rubbed light circles into it. He whispered, “Maybe you should just change your M-O. Don’t wear the uniform under your clothes anymore.”

“But then how am I going to help someone with only a moment’s notice?” Peter countered.

“You’re not the only superhero on the streets of New York, Pete. The city is practically crawling with them,” Tony reasoned. “…Maybe it’s time you stop fighting the small time crime and became a full-fledged member of the team?”

“I pretty much am already on the team…but I need to patrol the streets too…”

Tony stared at his son’s slumped form, wishing he could better understand his son’s drive to protect. The kid practically worked himself until he was exhausted some nights. He did too much…and…and then Tony remembered the line Peter would quote with reverence.

With great power, comes great responsibility.

“This is about your Uncle Ben, isn’t it?” Tony realized. “ _Peter_ , Ben wouldn’t want you to do it if it put you at risk.”

Peter shook his head and murmured, “There’s got to be a solution, Dad… There’s got to be. Spider-Man needs to be on the streets. I _need_ to be able to help.”

\---

As soon as he saw Steve, Peter felt all of his emotions rise and tangle together in his throat all over again. Ever since he met the super soldier, he'd be the one Peter would go to when he was upset. He was there for Peter when he found out the truth about his parentage and he was still there for him now that everyone else knew. He ran to his step-father and embraced him tightly.

Steve returned the embrace, but, from the corner of his eye, he saw the super soldier look questionably at Tony. Peter provided explanation and murmured into Steve’s chest, “Spidey’s identity almost got discovered.”

The arms around him tightened and Steve whispered, “Are you alright?”

“…No, I need to find a way to protect Spidey’s identity,” Peter sighed, pulling himself out of Steve’s arms.

Steve cupped the side of his face and promised, “We’ll help you however we can. With your dad, Bruce, Scott, and Vision – we’ve got some of the smartest men on planet here, all able to help. We'll figure something out.”

“I think he just needs to stop patrolling the streets and fight when he's called into action, not when it's spur of the moment,” his father murmured under his breath.

Peter rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen, groaning, “I don't want to fight about this again. Let's talk about something else. Anything else.”

Steve followed him into the kitchen and said, “I was about to make lunch. Sandwiches sound good?”

“Yes, please,” Peter replied, collapsing at the counter. He sat heavily on one of the barstools and lay his head on his arms.

Steve unload the fridge of all the needed supplies and covered the counter in lunch meats, bread, lettuce, and other much needed condiments. He was putting together a turkey sandwich, obviously for Peter as it was his favorite, when he paused and suddenly stared intensely at Peter.

“…Something wrong?” Peter asked propping his head up on one of his hands.

“Pep – we – no, I…I was wondering, and I know this is probably the worst time to ask but, can I adopt you? Legally make you my son? I love you very much Pete and would be honored if you said yes, because, in my mind, you're already my boy.”

Steve's words went straight to his heart. He was touched that Steve felt that way. He smiled at the man standing on the other side of the counter and replied, “Of course, Pops.”

Steve dropped his head, his lips shook with emotion and his eyes blinked wildly. Peter’s own emotions rose and he got up and rounded the counter. Steve moved with him and they met halfway in an embrace.

He was crying in seconds and Peter joked as he blubbered, “Are you sure you want to adopt this?”

“Of course, son,” Steve whispered, his voice also wracked with emotion, and kissed the top of his head.

“All the snot you’ll get on your shirt is your own fault for talking like that,” Peter mumbled, rubbing his face into Steve’s chest.

Tony chose that moment to finally follow them into the kitchen. He stopped as soon as they came into view and he worriedly demanded, “What did I miss??”

Peter and Steve separated, both of them rubbing their eyes and smiling. Steve replied, “Peter just agreed to the adoption. We’re officially going to be a family!” Steve cupped the side of Peter’s face and stared lovingly at Peter. Peter preened under the attention and smiled happily up at the man who wanted to adopt him…his Pops.

\---

Peter was better by the time he got to Wade.

Steve wanted him to be a part of his family. He also wanted to be a father to him. A few years ago, he didn’t have anyone in his life that could consider a father…and now he had _two_.

The events of the day were horrible but, with the adoption, he felt prized and loved. So he was surprisingly in a good mood when he swung up to the roof.

Wade was in his Deadpool uniform again but he was holding some flowers. He stood as soon as Peter landed and announced, “These flowers are so gay but it’s okay because what we’re doing is gay…Though technically we’re both bi, which is why there are two different kinds of flowers here: Roses and daisies.” Wade covered his eyes and groaned, “I know I am a dork.”

Peter lifted his mask enough to show Wade he was grinning. He walked up to Wade and wrapped his hand around the flower stems and Wade’s hand. He said, “They’re amazing and so are you.”

Wade dipped his head, caressing the exposed skin of Peter’s jaw, and murmured, “As are you, baby boy…”

Peter rolled Wade’s mask up and Wade continued to caress him as he did. He was smiling and looked happy despite the fact that half of his face was still hidden to Peter. Peter stood on the tips of his toes to reach the taller man and Wade’s smile grew brighter as Peter kissed him.

Wade returned the kiss with a happy sigh and wound his arms around Peter, drawing him closer. Again he held and kissed Peter like he was something precious and Peter tried to emulate the feeling, to show Wade he felt the same as he returned the kiss.

Wade was the first to break the kiss and murmured into Peter’s mouth, “This is amazing…”

Peter laughed, “You keep saying that word and it’ll go straight to my ego.”

“My _amazing_ , baby boy,” Wade retorted, nuzzling his nose into Peter’s neck.

Peter playfully slipped out of Wade’s arms, taking the flowers with him, and asked, “So what do you want to do tonight?”

Wade chased after him and caught Peter around the waist. Peter chuckled as Wade turned him around and pulled him to his chest. Wade suggested, “Let’s make out like monkeys.”

“Do monkeys even make out?” Peter teased, wrapping his arms behind Wade’s neck. The flowers brushed against the side of Wade’s face, drawing out the joy in his smile.

Wade gripped Peter by the hips and pressed their waists together. Peter was reminded that it was a man who he held as he felt Wade’s hard sex pressed into his and, dear lord, he didn’t wear a jockstrap like most supes with a form fitting uniform so Peter felt every inch of him.

And wow.

There was a lot of Wade down there.

…It scared him.

He didn’t know what to do or how to react to the overt sexual move. He was still getting used to the fact that he was actively seeing a man now. He liked kissing Wade but he knew he wasn’t ready for sex yet. Wade was amazing but…Peter dropped his forehead onto Wade’s chest to hide his embarrassment and murmured, “Can…Can we take this slower?”

Wade jerked under Peter’s hold and he pulled back, whispering, “I…Peter, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…we don’t have to kiss anymore –.”

“No!” Peter gasped, aghast. “I want to keep kissing you!”

“But not like monkeys?” Wade asked, sounding confused.

“How about we kiss like Peter and Wade would?”

“…I still don’t understand what I did wrong,” Wade worriedly murmured.

Peter buried his face into Wade’s chest. Even with his mask still half on he felt the need to hide himself from his mortification. They were officially entering their awkward stage of a new relationship where they had to figure out how they fit together and he hoped they could get through this quickly. He whispered, “I like you, Wade. I really like you and, whenever I’m with you, I feel happy and at ease. I haven’t felt that in a long time but, the fact of the matter is, I’ve never been with a man before so I need time to adjust to that fact.”

Wade wound his arms around Peter and his big hands rubbed at his shoulders. Peter relaxed into his touch and moved his head so he was no longer hiding from Wade. Instead, he pressed his ear to Wade’s chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart.

“Whatever you want, baby boy,” Wade murmured.

Peter relaxed into Wade’s hold. His nerves melted away. He knew he could trust Wade’s words. He broke from the embrace and said, “I am _so sorry_ for making this awkward. Can I make it up to you? Let’s go have some fun!”

“What do you have in mind?” Wade asked.

Grinning, Peter wrapped an arm around Wade’s waist tightly and pulled his mask back down. Wade also pulled his mask back down and Peter said, “Hang on!”

He pointed his webshooter at a far off building and shot the solution at it. Peter tugged and they went flying off the roof. Wade stretched out his arms like he was flying and laughed excitedly as the flew through the sky.

Peter could barely keep his eyes on his webslinging as his eyes were drawn to Wade. He couldn’t see Wade’s face but his laughter was just as alluring as his smile.

He didn’t know how long they webbed across the city but they eventually made it back to their roof. The flowers were right where Peter left them though were a little wilted.

The sun had set a while ago and the roof was warm beneath their feet but not too hot that it didn’t burn them as they laid down and looked up at the cloudy, night sky. They lay side-by-side and Wade cushioned Peter’s head on his bicep.

Peter commented, “Your arm is freaking bigger than my thigh.”

“The better to cuddle you with, my dear,” Wade sang.

Peter snickered and sighed contently as he watched the clouds float by.

A few minutes went by in a relaxed silence before Wade asked, “What scared you?”

“Hmm?” Peter hummed, not understanding.

“When you said you wanted to slow down?” Wade reworded and Peter instantly flushed.

“I…I felt your arousal,” Peter murmured, keeping his eyes on the sky in order to avoid Wade’s gaze. “I’m not used to that…”

“So Gwen never had boners?” Wade questioned teasingly and Peter choked on his automatic snort.

“ _No_! Oh my God, no!” Peter laughed. The image of the blonde with a boner nonetheless came to mind and Peter's laughing increased and he had to roll onto his side to properly breathe.

 He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed about something involving Gwen. It felt cleansing.

Peter opened his eyes to find Wade watching him and Peter wished he could see his face. He wished his mask was gone too. He felt separated from Wade with these barriers to protect their identities.

“Wade, don't worry about it. I like you. I like kissing you. I’ll get used to the rest of it,” Peter murmured, drawing his hand over Wade’s chest. Wade inhaled sharply as Peter lightly ran his hands over the contours of Wade’s muscles. He so badly wanted to see Wade’s face, to see his reaction, to give more meaning to what they were doing…They needed to start meeting somewhere private.

He felt Wade’s heart racing beneath his touch but Peter’s heart was beating faster. He felt a stirring within him, something he hadn’t felt in years… Peter pushed himself up and hovered over Wade.

“Baby boy?” Wade whispered with uncertainty.

Peter smirked and murmured, “How about you follow my lead for now?”

He pushed back Wade’s mask, revealing the bottom half of his face. Wade was smiling and he slipped his arms around Peter’s back as Peter pushed up his own mask.

“And where will you be leading me, Cinderella?” Wade asked, his mouth never breaking free from its smile.

Keeping his hand over Wade’s racing heart, Peter leaned down and forwent answering him by kissing him.

Wade’s arms tightened and held him close, making Peter feel cherished again.

At that moment, Peter decided he would do all that was in his power to make Wade feel just as prized…because that was what Wade was becoming to him, something precious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking I'll be able to post the next chapter by next weekend! Thanks for reading! :)


	7. Thursday, August 11th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Sorry for the long hiatus! I was given a lot of OT at work so since I last posted I literally have been going to work and then going to sleep! Work and sleep, work and sleep, it's been a nightmare -_-
> 
> BUT I was able to squeeze in some writing time and now here's the new chapter! There is science in this chapter and I tried to research the correct science but it may be the incorrect science! XD

“How did you know you were gay?” Peter asked Steve.

They were both eating breakfast at the kitchen counter with a hologram of _Good_ _Morning_ _America_ playing in front of them. Tony was going to be going on soon, giving his first interview since the whole mess began. Both Peter and Steve elected to not be included in the program.

They had a bag of bagels between them, a platter of eggs over easy, bacon, and toast. They had enough to feed a small army or, in their case, two super humans.

Steve looked at Peter curiously upon his question but, then his gaze turned inward, and he pondered Peter’s question for a moment.

“I think I always knew since I was a child,” Steve replied. “I didn’t act on it obviously. It was considered shameful back then…but I accepted it. It was a hard pill to swallow but I shouldered it. I treated it like a burden. I didn’t want it to be a part of me anymore than I had wanted any of my other ailments…When I woke in this century, I didn’t know how far the Gay Right’s Movement had come until New York’s Pride Parade. It was all over the news and…and I just sat down and... and cried…I was _so_ happy…because I knew I could finally be true to myself without any fear. Maybe a week later I met your father and he flirted with me. That enigmatic, beautiful man was interested in me and I was in him…so I flirted back. I was still scared. I knew there were some people who still thought like they did back in the 40s and, I, myself, still felt a need to guard the secret because of my upbringing. But here we are now…” Steve chuckled and smiled happily at Peter. “So, sorry for giving you my whole life story but…yes, I knew I was gay from a young age but I couldn’t really embrace it until I met your father and he helped me learn to be a ‘modern’ gay man until we finally came out.”

“…So you just knew?” Peter murmured, thinking of Wade. He never even considered seeing a man until they first flirted at the fair.

“Yes, I could tell my level of attraction to men and women differed _vastly_ ,” Steve replied.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Peter asked, “Please don’t give me too much details but, what about the physical aspect?”

Steve leaned forward on his elbows and deadpanned, “You want to know about the physical aspect of my relationship with your father?”

“Ugh,” Peter groaned. “Don’t word it like that…”

“What’s going on, Peter?” Steve countered. “Why the sudden interest? This isn’t a usual father-son talk. I know it’s officially my first day as your ‘legal’ father but do you _really_ want to know how physical Tony and I are?”

“Oh, please shut up now! That is not what I was asking!” Peter groaned, burying his face in his hands. This conversation just took a turn down a very dark corridor. He sighed heavily and looked at his step-father. He murmured, “I think I’m interested in…a man.”

“…You?” Steve gasped, “A man? Wh-who? When did this happen?” He reached over to Peter and grasped his arm. He gently said, “This…you’re worried about your feelings?”

Peter dropped his head and put his hand over Steve’s. He whispered, “I care about him…I’ve kissed him but I’m scared of doing more. I had kissed before but the mechanics of kissing with a man and a woman are pretty much the same…after that though…”

Steve smiled and said, “It’ll be your first time all over again. You get to awkwardly relearn everything! It’s scary. I know. One of the scariest moments in my life was my first date with your father. I was scared of his experience, of openly being gay for the first time in my life, and I was scared of allowing someone into my heart after guarding it for so many years…Love is scary but it’s also rewarding.”

Peter nodded, remembering his nerves with Gwen. He murmured, “It just seems more frightening with Wade…” More frightening but also _more_ exhilarating went unsaid.

“Wade?” Steve repeated, “Wait, _Wade_ _Wilson_? You mean _Deadpool_?”

“The one and only,” Peter replied. “We started seeing each other after your wedding.”

“The last two nights?” Steve guessed.

“Dates with Wade,” Peter replied.

“…Isn’t he a little older than you?”

“And what’s the age difference between you and my dad again?” Peter countered.

“Touché,” Steve replied and stabbed the egg yolk, making the yellow center bleed. “…But, he’s different. The things in his past have scarred him mentally on top of physically.”

“…He makes me happy and I know he’s different, and I like that…whenever I’m with him I feel just so relaxed and happy…I haven’t felt that since Gwen.”

“If you’re already kissing him then you sound more than happy with him,” Steve murmured dryly.

“When he kisses me I feel…precious,” Peter replied, flushing a little. It was a little intimate to share, especially with one’s father.

“Be careful,” Steve stated. Peter immediately turned on him, opening his mouth to voice an angry rebuttal, but, Steve raised his hand, silently asking for more time to speak. He continued, “I know he is different with you but, Pete, this is Deadpool. He’ll kill innocents for the right price.”

Peter dropped his head. Steve was right…

Steve’s warm hand centered itself on his back and he whispered, “Or, maybe, he’s going to change because he met this amazing, young man and he wants to go on the straight and narrow, just for him?”

“ _Straight_ and narrow?” Peter reiterated with a teasing smirk.

“Oh gay and narrow then! I don’t know! However else you would spin that!” Steve replied with a heavy sigh. To himself, he murmured, “Can never have a serious conversation with these two, they always find a way to twist my words…”

“Thanks, Pops,” Peter whispered.

Steve stopped mumbling to himself and happily smiled at the plate in front of him.

\---

Being back at the lab was tense.

Whatever the other interns were put through in their remedial classes, made them all stop talking as soon as Peter entered the labs. Even Eddie was eyeing him nervously.

Peter wanted to turn around right there and flee.

 _Come on! You’re a superhero! You’ve faced down super villains! You can do this!_ Peter’s inner conscious berated him.

Clutching his fists, Peter walked into the room with his head held high.

He went straight to the workstation where Eddie was and asked, “How’s our protoplasm?”

“A glob of failed theories as always,” Eddie replied with a tense smile.

Peter sighed lightly to himself and whispered to his friend alone, “I know you were put through the ringer yesterday and I’m sorry you had to go through that…you are awesome. You’re a great friend, Eddie, can…can we still be friends?”

Eddie dropped his head and Peter’s heart sunk.

Eddie snorted and murmured, “You are such a dweeb.”

Peter smiled brightly at his friend and slid the microscope Eddie had been looking at in front of him. He bent down and peered into the scope. He adjusted it for his eyesight and peered at the dark protoplasm. He murmured, “This actually looks good, what you going on about? A glob of failed theories? The molecules are stable! One of our hypothesis might actually be right!”

“Shut up!” Eddie hissed, elbowing him in the side. “Don't jinx us!”

Peter grinned excitedly at Eddie and he forgot about everyone else in the lab. He gasped, “We need to expand the sample!”

\---

Tony thought his interview with _Good Morning America_ went great. The news cast was welcoming and the interview was full of energy and positive interest. People genuinely were interested in his and Peter’s story and Tony was happy to share. He gushed about Peter and how brilliant he was. He also revealed Steve’s adopting him and how much Steve also loved Peter.

Pepper predicted good reviews for all of them and his story was already trending online as he left the building.

He got a text from Peter and he laughed as he read, ‘You’re a sap and now everyone knows it but ily2.’

“Where are my boys, Friday?” Tony asked his phone.

“Steve and Peter are both in the Tower. Steve is in the office, speaking with Agent Coulson, and Peter is in the intern labs.”

Tony made a face, wishing Peter had chosen to skip work. How much longer was Peter going to go there? The whole point of the internship was as a cover for him to see Tony without raising any questions. He could start working in the real labs now and no one would question it. He’d talk to Peter about it later…and maybe he’d find a way to bring up Deadpool, but, for now he had time on his hands and a new husband waiting for him at home.

He texted said husband, ‘Runaway with me?’

The three dotted ellipsis appeared on his phone as Steve began to text a near-instant reply, making Tony smile. He wondered if Coulson was on speaker phone as Steve was texting him or if he ended the conversation.

‘Where to?’ Steve replied.

‘Somewhere where super soldiers snuggle billionaire geniuses.’

‘Then anywhere that glowing heart of yours desires :)’ Steve’s reply made Tony bite down on his lip to keep from smiling too goofily. Steve’s flirting always made him feel giddy.

‘Be home soon,’ Tony promised. ‘I’ll order us some take-out.’

‘Pizza!’ Was Steve’s instant reply. Tony laughed again and, as soon as he stepped into his suit, he placed the order.

He got permission to fly off of the roof where the show was filmed and he was back to the Tower in no time with no hassle from New York's infamous traffic or paparazzi.

Friday directed him to Steve, who was waiting for him in their living room. He was no longer on the phone with Coulson and, as soon as his eyes landed on Tony, his blue gaze became alight with joy.

“Pizza should be here in 30 minutes or so,” Tony said in way of greeting.

Steve crossed the room and cupped his face as he placed a gentle kiss upon Tony’s lips.

Steve pulled back and whispered, “Your interview was amazing. Peter was glowing by the end.”

Joy swelled in his chest. He’d been nervous about Peter’s reaction. He knew he was upset by all of this attention and didn’t know how’d he react to an interview where he was the main focus.

Tony linked his hands behind Steve’s waist and whispered, “I’m glad.”

Steve kissed him again. This time it was longer and Steve’s arms pulled him into a closer embrace. It was kisses like this that made Tony remember the fireworks, bursting elation he first felt when he and Steve first kissed. His legs felt like rubber but his heart felt like it was going to explode with love. He loved Steve _so_ much. He was so happy he met and finally married the man.

Steve broke the kiss and murmured, “Now what was this thing about super soldiers snuggling with billionaire geniuses?”

Tony smirked and replied, “Oh, it’s pretty exclusive. I know only of two people who can do it.”

Steve’s mouth twitched into a smile and pulled him to the couch, murmuring, “30 minutes?”

Tony snuggled into Steve’s side. All of his husband’s muscles were soft and relaxed and it reminded him of a giant teddy bear. Sighing contently, Tony agreed, “30 minutes…” _For now._

They settled onto the couch with Tony laying on top of Steve.

It felt nice to cuddle with Steve like this. They rarely got to do it. Mostly he fell asleep in Steve’s arms like this so his eyes felt heavy as soon as they settled.

“I’m glad Peter wasn’t upset by the interview,” Tony murmured gently into Steve’s chest. “I was worried he would be upset by all of the attention it would create.”

“I think he was more gratified by your words. You’ve never spoken to Peter of your relationship other than saying ‘I love you.’ I don’t think he realized how much of an impact he’s made on you until today,” Steve replied, wrapping his arms more securely around Tony.

“Well, I’m glad,” Tony sighed. “Finally, a positive thing coming out of this…”

“Speaking of Peter…” Steve whispered, “He revealed something pretty big to me today. Bet you’d never guess what?”

Playing along, Tony murmured, “What? He got bitten by a radioactive walrus?”

Steve chuckled, “No, he still _only_ has spider powers, but he revealed to me that he has taken after you in _another_ way. He’s bisexual.”

No longer feeling sleepy, Tony pushed himself to his elbows and gasped, “What??”

“He is actively seeing a man right now,” Steve continued. “I was a little worried by ‘who’ it was but Peter assured me, he makes him happy.”

Instantly wary, Tony asked, “Who?”

Steve sighed lightly and secured his arms around Tony. He whispered, “Before I tell you, you have to promise that you will not think the worst nor worry. You are very protective of Peter but he’s an adult now and makes his own choices.”

Tony sat up, breaking their embrace and hissed, “Okay, now I am freaking out. Is Peter dating some supervillain?”

“No,” Steve chided, sitting up with him. He reached out to Tony and lightly grasped his knee and said, “Just promise you will not go straight to Peter and demand they break up. Hear your son out before judging the man he’s seeing.”

“Fine, I promise,” Tony agreed hurriedly. “Who is it?”

“…Wade Wilson.”

Tony jerked and Steve’s hold on his knee tightened as Tony demanded, “ _Deadpool_???”

Tony felt sick. This was why Peter was spending time with Deadpool?! What was Peter doing dating that madman? Had Deadpool manipulated Peter into the relationship??

Tony got to his feet, dislodging Steve’s hand as he did, and he hissed, “Where is Peter, Friday??”

“No,” Steve said, grabbing Tony’s arm, preventing him from standing. “You _promised,_ Tony. Peter told me this in confidence but I could tell he was uneasy about revealing the information. He didn’t want this kind of reaction from me, nonetheless you…Tony...Peter is an adult. He knows what he is doing.”

“This is Deadpool, _Steve_ ,” Tony said, leaning into his husband’s hold. “He’s not like Peter…He’s a mercenary. He’s either going to hurt Peter or going to turn him.”

“Wilson may change for him,” Steve murmured. “You didn’t hear him, honey. Peter said he hadn’t felt this way about someone since Gwen. He really cares for the man.”

“You can’t possibly be suggesting that we do nothing about this?” Tony hissed.

“I reminded Peter of the risks, specifically that the man is a mercenary but, that is all I will do. Peter is his own man and I won’t stop him from loving who he wants,” Steve stated. He cupped Tony’s cheek and whispered, “Love comes in many forms and I won’t deny my son what he wants. If it worries you so much, then talk to him after he’s done at the lab.”

Tony closed his eyes and leaned heavily into Steve’s hand. Anxiety was tightening its hold on his heart and the worry he’d been feeling for his son doubled with this new revelation. 

One thing was blatantly clear: he needed to protect his son from more than just the media.

\---

Wade couldn’t meet him that night because he had something going on with the X-Men. Peter texted him sporadically but he mostly worked with Eddie on their breakthrough. Everyone else left the lab by end of shift but they continued to look over their slides and mix their chemicals, measuring their every drop with abated breath.

He had Friday inform his parents of his late hours and she told him that they’d wait up for him. Peter grinned in response and couldn’t wait to tease his dad about his endearing interview.

At one point, when Peter paused in his work to get a water bottle from the fridge where everyone kept their food (safely separated from all the other fridges in the room holding scientific samples or chemicals), he noticed Wade sent him a video message, Peter glanced at Eddie, working on the other side of the lab, and then opened it with the volume low.

It was just of Wade’s head, wearing his Deadpool regalia, and he blew a kiss to the camera and said, “Miss you, baby boy!”

Peter smiled sweetly at his phone and quickly typed out, ‘Miss you too.’

When he glanced up from his phone, he saw Eddie watching him. Peter went back to their workstation and, when he was close enough, Eddie asked Peter, “Was that the guy from the fair? I thought you were pulling my leg. Are you really dating him?”

Eddie must have heard the video and recognized Wade’s voice. So much for being incognito…

“Yup!” Peter replied, sitting down with a smile.

The Merc with a Mouth was his boyfriend.

A month ago Peter would have thought such a thing ridiculous but now it made butterflies fly around in his stomach.

Eddie sat up straighter, his attention totally diverted from what was in front of him. He had no idea who Wade was, of course, so he asked, “How’d you meet him?”

“Works with my dad,” Peter replied vaguely and leaned forward to peer at what he was working on to indirectly show that topic was over and he was not going to delve into Wade’s background anymore. He directed his eyes at the beakers in front of him and picked up his thermometer to measure their temperature for the third time.

Eddie didn’t catch the signal and continued, “Damn, no way! Is he a supe?”

“If he was, do you think I’d tell you?” Peter replied dryly and his phone buzzed with a new message. Peter quickly glanced down and saw Wade sent him a bunch of kissey face emojis in reply to his text and Peter smiled sweetly at his screen. He replied with a single kissey face emoji, imaging actually placing the kiss onto Wade’s cheek.

Eddie chuckled and said, “I guess not…Though, you clearly trust me with some hefty secrets since I know your number one secret now.”

Peter felt like Eddie just dumped a bucket of ice water over his head and almost dropped his phone.

 _How’d Eddie find out_? Did Peter somehow let slip he was Spidey??

“Wh-What are you talking about?” Peter gasped.

Eddie rose a single blond eyebrow and replied, “You and Mystery Scar Man? _Dating_? As in, you are gay like your dad? You know, if that got out, the media would be freaking out and start bringing up the clone thing again.”

Peter sighed in relief but groaned, “Don’t even get me started on the clone thing…”

Eddie shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone like that ass, Mac…”

“Mac was really the one?” Peter whispered with a small voice. He couldn’t help but note that Mac wasn’t there today but Peter still couldn’t believe he’d betray him like that. Mac was the oldest intern and was there on scholarship but he never thought he’d stoop to that…

“He was an ass,” Eddie elaborated. “I don’t think anyone else would do it, even with the seminar we did yesterday. The rest of them are cool.”

Peter nodded sadly, feeling bummed by the fact someone he knew had sold his image to the tabloids. He had hung out with Mac on numerous occasions. They got along. His number was one of the ones he did not delete from his phone. Peter couldn’t believe he’d do that to Peter knowing that it was an invasion of his privacy…

“Hey…” Eddie asked, “Do you want to take a break? We’ve been working on this all day.”

Peter glanced down at his glassware, feeling a wave of gratitude toward Eddie. He looked back to his friend and said, “I’m good, unless you need a break?”

Grinning cheekily, Eddie replied, “Nah, I’m dying to see our results with a larger sample!”

Peter grinned and nodded in agreement.

They both dived back into their work with gusto. They’d both been in the program for over a year and had been working on their protoplasm research since the beginning.

Peter had excelled in nearly all forms of science but his heart was set on biological science and had been ever since he was a boy. With it, he wanted to make the world a better place. Originally, he had wanted to cure cancer, like his first father, Richard Parker, but, after becoming Spider-Man and fighting with the Avengers, Peter’s wants evolved.

Many were using biology to find a way to fight cancer or other deadly microorganisms, but, barely anyone was using it to defend people from larger, outside attacks. Most relied on mechanical or computer science for that…but, Peter and Eddie, they were going to change all of that.

Eddie carefully poured the contents of a thin test tube into a burette (an elongated measuring tube). Once he emptied the test tube he stopped pouring and released an unsteady breath. He put one of their larger beakers beneath it. The burette contained the base to their solution and would connect everything in the beaker together. Without it, everything would be a useless mass similar to kinetic sand. It’d barely stick together and wouldn’t even have the ability to react nonetheless do what they wanted.

Eddie put his hand on the stopcock of the burette and whispered humbly, “If this works, we’ll have enough to make the bio-shield and then we can start the test sessions.”

Peter held his breath as he watched Eddie turn the stopcock and let the near unstable liquid flow into the beaker. Both he and Eddie leaned in closely as they watched the measurements etched onto the burette progress with the emptying of their solution. Eddie turned the stopcock, slowing the flow as it approached their number.

Peter’s heart felt like it was going to stop when Eddie sealed the burette. They both leaned down to look at the reaction in the beaker.

They were trying to create a living shield that protected its host from environmental and human factors. It was going to be revolutionary if it worked. Their protoplasm was strong, durable, and reactive to outside elements. Ultimately, however, it was supposed to protect whatever DNA it was fused with and fusing the protoplasm was going to be the hardest part.

If this worked then the next and final step would be to add their DNA. Peter tore his eyes from the dark mixture to look at his friend. When they study the final results, would he notice the minute differences in Peter's DNA? Should he confide in Eddie about his other life? If he kept his secret about being him being in a gay relationship, would he keep Spidey a secret too?

Eddie met his gaze and whispered, “Do you want me to do it or you?”

Peter licked his lips and whispered, “We’ll both do it.”

Eddie nodded and they both reached out to the test tube tray. Two test tubes sat there, each holding respective samples of their DNA.

“Cheers,” Eddie said, lightly tapping Peter’s tube with his.

Peter raised his tube in acceptance of the cheers and then poured his DNA sample into the solution. Eddie did the same and they both put their tubes back on the try without looking away from their experiment.

There was no need to stir it in as the mass was already churning in on itself.

“ _Pete_ ,” Eddie hissed as the mass began to change from black to brown to black again. Gripping the counter with his fingers turning white, Eddie gasped, “The molecules aren’t going to be able to handle it! They’re too unstable!”

“It’s still reacting!” Peter countered but it felt like his heart was pounding frantically upward, getting closer to his throat. Brown meant death in their solution but, even if a portion of their sample survived, it would be a victory.

“We should add more base,” Eddie said, reaching for the stopcock. Peter’s hand shot forward and grabbed Eddie’s arm before he could touch their experiment. He hissed, “If we add too much base it’ll dilute the solution and turn it to liquid! Wait, Ed!”

Eddie reluctantly pulled his hand away and Peter let go of him.

More patches were browning and Peter’s heart dropped. Their protoplasm was dying.

It stopped churning altogether and the patches grew, the brown coloring eating up the black like a growing stain.

Eddie slammed his fists on the table in frustration.

Staring sadly at their failed experiment, Peter whispered, “It can’t stabilize on its own.”

Eddie stared at the beaker with hard eyes and then slowly raised his head with his fists relaxing. He whispered, “If it had something stable to latch on…we could piggyback its stabilization. It needs a stronger core…”

Eddie stood up sharply, making Peter jump.

“Mac’s project!” Eddie gasped.

Peter inhaled sharply. Eddie couldn’t be serious!

“Eddie, Mac was working on something vastly different than us!”

Eddie crossed the lab to where Mac’s workstation was. Peter was right behind him and Eddie said, “Mac was making a bio-sentry. _Hell_ , he got the idea from our project! A sentry is practically the same thing as a shield! It protects!”

“He didn’t make it from scratch like us!” Peter retorted. “He was granted access to alien DNA! _Symbiotic_ alien DNA! We have no idea how it will react to our solution or our own DNA!”

Eddie opened the small fridge under Mac’s workstation. Sitting in a large, triangular flask was Mac’s project, its codename, VENOM, was etched into the glass. It contained a pitch black liquid, darker than ink and reminiscent of the dark hole it was born from in space.

“That is not ominous at all,” Peter stated sarcastically, waving at the poisonous title and trying to get his friend off of this idea. “Why would Mac label it as venom? It might be dangerous.”

“Everything Mac did will be thrown out by the end of the week,” Eddie stated, picking up the flask. Turning to Peter, he rebutted, “What do we have to lose? Our solution is going to die no matter what we do! With this, at least we can try something! There’s a chance the symbiote will latch onto it and infuse itself with our molecules!”

“I don’t like this,” Peter murmured, the very fringes of his spidey-sense was tingling. It was probably from his apprehension so Peter ignored it and focused on the task at hand as he argued, “This is stealing! It’s Mac’s work!”

“No, everything in here belongs to Stark Industries. This was never Mac’s. This belongs to your dad!” Eddie hurried back to their workstation and Peter was quick to fall in step beside him.

“Politics aside, this is still not right!” Peter countered. Mac may have been an ass but he was also a scientist and they were using his work without his permission.

Eddie ignored him and grabbed the largest beaker in the lab, placing it next to the smaller beaker of their experiment. He poured the contents of VENOM into the big one and it sloshed noiselessly into it and it settled almost immediately. There were no ripples from the impact and such an unusual phenomenon sent a shiver down Peter’s spine. Keeping his eyes on the alien substance, Peter murmured, “Ed, we should study this thing before we do –.”

Eddie poured their experiment into the beaker with VENOM before Peter could say another word.

They exchanged glances, Eddie excited and Peter wary, and then leaned forward together to watch the reaction.

Their experiment sunk to the bottom of the beaker, a mass of thick sludge that was barely discernable in VENOM’s dark liquid.

Nothing happened. Eddie’s longshot was also a failure. Peter grumbled, “How on earth are we supposed to dispose of this? How do we tell our supervisors we have _alien_ materials to dispose of when we had no authorization to work with _alien_ materials??”

“We’ll just put it back into Mac’s fridge,” Eddie sighed. He picked up the beaker but, when it was only an inch off the counter, its entire surface bubbled. Eddie hurriedly put it back down and the beaker thrummed as it vibrated from the bubbly reaction.

“It worked!” Eddie hissed excitedly.

Peter pursed his lips and watched the reaction with a critical eye. He wasn’t celebrating just yet. They had no idea what they created. The reaction settled and the beaker was the same dark as VENOM’s original color, except, no longer as opaque.

“We need to run tests,” Peter whispered. “All of our parameters will have changed.”

\---

Most of the tests came back inconclusive but the more in-depth tests would take around 24 hours to run so they called it a night and locked their experiment up tight.

Peter went back to the penthouse tired, nervously excited, but mostly uncertain. He was happy that the experiment stabilized but was unhappy by how that came about and how it was compromising their work.

Was their bio-shield still a reality? Or had they created something else?

Maybe he should have Bruce or Vision take a closer lo –.

“Peter!” His dad’s exclamation interrupted his line of thinking. Both Tony and Steve got to their feet as Peter entered the living room.

“You didn’t have to wait up for me,” Peter said apologetically, feeling bad about the late hour.

“You’re dating Deadpool?!” Tony exclaimed.

By the tone of his father’s voice, Peter was instantly on the defensive and he immediately glanced at Steve, the very probable reason of how his dad found this out,  and saw he was frowning at Tony. He too did not seem happy by Tony's reaction. Peter'd never told Steve not to tell him but now Peter wished he'd been able to be the one to tell his dad, especially with this reaction. He looked back to his dad and tersely replied, “Wade. His name is Wade and, yes, I am dating him.”

Steve grabbed Tony’s arm and his dad glanced back at the super solider before turning back to Peter and stating at a more controlled level, “I know you are an adult and that who you choose to date is your own business but…but this is Deadpool. He’s a killer.”

“He makes me laugh,” Peter countered, his heart breaking as he had to defend one man he cared about from another he also cared for. “He gets me. He knows both sides to me and he’s been there for me ever since the media found out I was your son! I _really_ like him, Dad. I know there are other sides to him. I know he’s hurt others because sometimes I was on scene when it happened! He’s done bad, but he’s also done good! And…I hope, if I ask, that he’ll turn over a new leaf…He cares for me too, Dad. I think he’d do it.”

“Pete, I loved and trusted a man with loose morals and I looked the other way because he was there for me when my father died. Do you know what he did to me in the end?”

Peter knew exactly who Tony was talking about and countered, “Wade is nothing like Obadiah. Wade cares for me.”

“Obie once cared for me too,” Tony retorted.

Steve stepped forward and mediated, “But like Peter said, Wade is not Stane. We shouldn’t fight about this.” To Tony, Steve pointedly said, “We haven’t really even met Wade, Tony. The only times we’ve interacted with him was during or after fights, not on a personal level. We shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Let’s give him a chance.”

Peter was extremely tempted to hug Steve right there but held back to keep his strong stance.

He and his family seemed to stand at a tense crossroads. Both Peter and Steve were looking at Tony, waiting for a reply. Peter could see a war being waged in Tony’s gaze. He didn’t want to acquiesce so easily. But, eventually, he tersely agreed, “Fine. We will ‘meet’ him.”

Peter sighed gratefully and Steve gently murmured, “It’s late. We should all go to bed…”

Peter left without so much as a goodnight and fled to his room. He was already shaky with this new relationship but it was on even more shaky ground with everyone seeming to disprove of it. It made him feel so insecure about himself and Wade.

He dragged his feet over to his bed and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He kicked off his pants and drew off his shirt. He turned off the light and was settling under his covers as he called Wade.

“ _HelloOOo_ , baby boy,” Wade purred in answering.

“Hey,” Peter said lightly. His chest was still tight with anxiety from his confrontation with his dad and the words they exchanged. Thinking of those words, he paused and then asked, “Wade, can you promise me, from now on, you’ll never kill someone?”

“…K-Kill?” Wade murmured in unabashed confusion.

“I know you’ve killed before. I know there’s a lot bodies on your ledger but…if you can promise me that you won’t kill anyone anymore, then I think I can be with you,” Peter explained. “Otherwise, we need to end this right now before we fall into this too deep.”

“ _Peter_ ,” Wade whispered, his voice filled with more emotion than he’d ever heard from the man before. “I-I…” He sighed heavily and whispered, “Pete, I like you. I really do and…I’m willing to do whatever I can to keep us together.”

Peter smiled and whispered, “So no more killing?”

“The only killing I’ll do will be on the dancefloor with my _killer_ dance moves,” Wade teased, making Peter chuckle.

He turned over to lay on his side and murmured, “My parents know about us.”

“…Should I be expecting Iron Man or Captain America knocking down my door soon? Because then I need to get my autograph booklet out!”

“Nooooo,” Peter groaned, suppressing a smile at the image. “But they want to get to know you, for me, you know?”

“I’ll willingly endure any stare down or awkward questions they throw at me,” Wade stated with vigor.

“Thanks,” Peter murmured, “You’re awesome.”

“Is there a date set yet for the parent meet?”

“No, _thank_ _God_ ,” Peter sighed.

“So we can set an actual date tomorrow,” Wade purred. “No parents.”

“That sounds great,” Peter laughed. He hadn’t even seen Gwen this much when they first started dating but he was excited to see Wade again.

“When are you available tomorrow?”

Peter closed his eyes and mentally went through all the tests he and Eddie were going to go through with their new sample. He eventually supplied, “Later, I don’t have an exact time yet.”

“Alright, just text me when you’re good to go,” Wade replied. “Want to meet at our roof again?”

“…Or maybe somewhere else? In plain clothes?” Peter asked, remembering how badly he wanted to be with Wade without his mask.

“And how are we supposed to do that Mr. Front Cover of Every Celebrity Gossip Magazine?” Wade countered.

Peter groaned, “Oh God, is that true? What pictures have they been using? Wait, no, I don’t want to know!”

“Don't worry, you look cute in all of them and, well…You can come to my place if you want?” Wade suggested.

Peter bit down on his lip and then murmured, “Sure…” His lip slipped free from the grip of his teeth and he smiled into his pillow. He imagined Wade without his mask and also smiling. He couldn’t wait to see that and to kiss him without his mask.

“Then it’s a date,” Wade replied. “…But now I will have to do some crazy cleaning and remodeling before you get here…”

Peter laughed and assured Wade he didn’t have to do that. He asked him how his outing with the X-Men went and Wade jumped into his story, making Peter laugh again as he described his antics and the team's exasperation.

His experiment and any inkling of talking to Bruce or Vision about it was finally lost as he was immersed in Wade’s story. The background worries about his parents and Wade were stronger than those of the mix-up in his experiment.

The way Peter saw it, the boyfriend and parents not getting along and the media wanting the next big scoop on Peter Parker were bigger problems to him than worrying about the inconclusive experiment with VENOM.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder, this is an AU so characters and events will be different than the MCU and the comic-verse!  
> I am hoping to get this next chapter out by this weekend but, with my work schedule, it'll probably be out by next weekend! I'll post teasers/updates onto my [tumblr](http://il0vsuperman.tumblr.com/) to keep y'all informed!  
> Thanks for reading! :)


	8. Friday, August 12th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I live! Thank you for your patience! It's been over a month since my last posting! (This is literally the longest I have ever gone between posting chapters! O_o)  
> I've been doing a lot of overtime with only one day off a week and its been exhausting...I'm hoping it will end soon because it's just burning me out and I want to write my fic! DX

“Stable?” Peter repeated with disbelief. 

“Stable!” Eddie hissed excitedly. 

“How is this possible? We didn’t account for VENOM in any of our notes,” Peter whispered, keeping his voice low enough so their supervisors wouldn’t overhear.

Mac’s station fridge was currently being emptied. Eddie had put back the VENOM beaker and filled it with a dyed liquid that mirrored the original. It would be destroyed without anyone knowing they had taken it. However, if their experiment worked, and they shared their findings, they were going to have a lot of explaining to do….At that moment, however, neither one of them were thinking about the paperwork they'd have to do because their experiment was _viable._

“All the tests show that, the protoplasm, our DNA, and VENOM have all synthesized almost perfectly!” Eddie whispered, smiling giddily at the beaker containing their solution. 

“But, the question is…will it work?” Peter murmured.

Eddie rounded the counter and sat himself opposite Peter, putting the beaker between them. He stated, “Then we’ll just have to find out!”

One of Peter’s eyebrows pricked up and he asked, “And how will we go about doing that?”

“It is supposed to protect whosever DNA it is synthesized with, so…”

“So-?” Peter paused when Eddie crushed a paper into a ball and threw it at Peter. He could have easily dodged it. His spidey-senses even gave off the slightest of flares but Peter endured the slight tap from the paper and leveled an annoyed look at his friend.

Grinning, Eddie stated, “Paper balls got through the bio-shield defense, upgrading to paperclips…”

“Oh no, two can play at that game,” Peter retorted. He picked up the paper ball and stated, “Both of our DNA is in there. Whatever I get hit with, you get hit with too.”

He threw the ball and hit Eddie right in the middle of his forehead.

“No reaction for Subject B either,” Peter stated with a grin.

“Hey, why am I Subject B?” Eddie whined.

“Because you hit me first, so I am clearly Subject A. Now, are you going to throw the paperclip first or should I do it?"

Eddie’s hand shot forward and grabbed the paperclip off his notes before Peter could.

“Round two of testing,” he announced and then flicked the paperclip. It bounced off Peter’s nose and their experiment didn’t so much as twitch.

They continued their “testing” until Eddie threw a paperback book at him. It was small and Peter barely felt it because Eddie tossed it so lightly but it landed with a loud thump beside Peter and their supervisors couldn’t pretend to ignore them anymore. Both men walked over and the more senior demanded, “What on Earth are you two been doing?”

“Running field tests,” Eddie smartly stated and Peter tossed the book back at him. Eddie caught it with a grin.

“For the shield you were working on?”

“Yeah, we’re trying to get it to work right now,” Peter sighed.

“It’s distracting to the others,” the other man deadpanned.

“Maybe it’s because we’ve been using the wrong supplies,” Eddie murmured. Suddenly, Eddie yelled, “Think fast, Parker!”

Eddie quickly pulled out his hardcover book on cell and molecular biology. It usually sat in Eddie's personal cubby beneath the table for easy access, if he wanted to refer to it. The thing was as thick as an English dictionary and Peter’s spidey-senses flared in warning. Peter could have easily dodged it but he then would have displayed his superhuman speed to most of the people in the room. Cursing Eddie, Peter raised his arm, tensing for the pain.

But it never came.

The solution in the beaker suddenly exploded upwards, catching the book.

The book struck the mass and then slowly slipped down, like it was floating down a gentle river as it bobbed and did not seem to be fighting any sort of gravity. The book lightly scraped against the edge of the beaker and fell gently onto the table in front of Eddie, sliding slightly in his direction.

The mass settled back into the beaker, its surface as smooth as glass, like nothing had happened.

He and Eddie looked up from the beaker at the same time and locked eyes. The room was silent. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the scientific miracle that had just occurred.

The shocked silence was broken when Eddie laughed ecstatically and rounded the counter, embracing Peter, gasping, “ _We did it, Parker_! It works! _We’re going to change the very face of biological science with this_!”

Eddie’s exclamation broke the spell on the people in the rest of the room. Everyone moved forward to congratulate them. He and Eddie broke apart and accepted their congratulations with smiles and happy words.

Internally, Peter was excited for the future and his career. This was a giant leap away from the mechanical science his father did. This was going to establish Peter Parker’s identity, not as the “cloned” son following in his father’s footsteps, but as a biological scientist.

This experiment was going to change _everything_.

\---

Pepper had deemed yesterday’s interview their last hurrah so, barring any other controversy, Tony and his family merely had to ride out the rest of the media storm until it was over. No more interviews or statements. Tony, Steve, and especially Peter, were free from society’s demands. If society wanted more, then they’d have to look elsewhere.

It was a relief and the first step back to going back to their normal, everyday lives.

Peter went to the lab again, leaving Steve and Tony alone with clear schedules thanks to their canceled honeymoon and nothing to do… except, well… each other.

Tony discovered his husband went mad with what he deemed "honeymoon fever" because he jokingly called him "hubby" and next thing he knew he was arching his body into Steve and moaning deeply into the man's mouth. 

Steve, apparently, _really_ like it when Tony called him "hubby."

But Tony wasn't totally unaffected by the honeymoon fever either. During their foreplay, Steve whispered his vows again into Tony's flesh as he kissed him all over. At first, Tony listened with a bemused smile but, as he listened to his words: the declarations, the promises, and the effect he'd had on Steve's life...Tony's bemused smile wobbled as he was overcome with powerful yet simple fact that what they had was perfect. He had married his best friend, this amazing and loving man, and they couldn't possibly be happier. 

Steve noted the change in his emotional state and trailed his kisses back up Tony's body as he wrapped up his vows. He finished them, tracing his nose along Tony's jaw and whispering, "I love you, hubby."

Tony snorted and Steve smiled with him. They kissed with their happy smiles in place and then Tony wrested himself on top of Steve, making the super solider release a squeal of unmanly giggles. They rolled around the bed kissing and laughing from the sheer fact that they were so ridiculously in love and equally happy.

Eventually, what must have been hours later, Tony was lazily kissing Steve’s inner thigh when Peter called out, “Dad! Pops? Anyone home?”

Tony sighed and kissed Steve’s flesh one last time and murmured, “To be continued…”

Steve chuckled as he sat up, grinning happily…no, _extra_ happily.

Tony knew why and crawled onto Steve's lap. He slipped his arms around the back of his neck and lightly kissed his lips before he teased, “You are so cute.”

“He’s calling me Pops,” Steve retorted with a bright smile. He quickly pecked Tony's lips in return and then slipped out of his hold.

“Well, you did ask him to,” Tony teased. Steve’s bent down to grab his clothes and Tony couldn't help but pinch that perfect ass.

Steve jolted and hissed, “ _Hey_!”

“Guys?” Peter’s voice called out, sounding closer.

Barring scarring Peter again, Tony yelled, “We’ll be out in a moment!”

He and Steve dressed quickly after that, though Steve paid him back for the pinching with a light tap on his bottom as he strode past him. They smirked at each other and then joined hands and walked out together. 

Peter was sitting on the couch in the living room when they entered the room. His son looked up at them with a knowing grin but forwent teasing them. He folded his arms behind his head and loftily said, “My and Eddie’s hypothesis is correct.”

“No, shit?!” Tony gasped. Before Peter’s exposure, his lab experiment with Brock was all he talked about.

“Your experiment worked?” Steve gasped.

Peter jumped to his feet and gasped, “Yes! Eddie and I have been given a private lab and are you to do more advanced tests tomorrow but its working! The shield is protecting us from things that could cause us harm! It’s stable! _It’s so awesome_! Sometime this week both of you need to stop by to see it!”

“Definitely,” Steve promised warmly.

“Why can’t we see it now? It’s my building,” Tony whined. “Visiting hours don’t really apply to me.”

Scratching the back of his head, Peter nervously smiled and said. “Well…I’m actually going to go over to Wade’s place right now.”

Tony’s smile instantly folded down into a frown.

“Oh,” he said, unable to hold back his distain. Internally, his anger simmered lightly to the surface. He trusted Deadpool just as much as he could throw him without using his Iron Man suit, and that wasn't far at all... He didn't know how the merc convinced Peter to enter into the relationship but Tony was sure as hell going to make sure it came to an end.

Because one thing was certain: Deadpool wasn't good enough for Peter.

Peter noticed Tony's change in expression and stated, “While I’m with Wade, I’ll check to see what his schedule is like and pick a night where we can all have dinner and properly get to know each other.”

“The sooner the better,” Tony darkly murmured, already imagining the meal and the death glares he was going to shoot at the mercenary.

Peter rolled his eyes and said, “Indeed…”

\---

Happy drove Peter to Wade’s.

Peter didn’t like it. It made him feel like a young teenager being driven to his first ever date.

But he couldn’t go out in his Spidey uniform again so soon after being nearly discovered in it. He had considered it, but his stomach curdled with unadulterated fear. What if it happened again? What if he was exposed again?

Or, even worse, what if he couldn’t _ever_ go out again without carrying this fear with him?

They took the same car his dad and Happy picked him up in: boring, indistinct, and with tinted windows. They weren’t followed out of the building though the encampment outside had grown a little smaller.

Wade lived in a part of town Peter had only been to in his Spidey uniform. It was a tougher part of town where crime rates were higher and no one questioned the fact that their neighbor made a living as a mercenary. Everyone minded their own business and paparazzi never came down there.

Peter liked it already.

Thinking of Wade distracted him from his more morbid thoughts. He flushed to himself as he remembered the last conversation on the phone. Peter had been a little emotional at first and had demanded Wade not kill any more without any explanation. Wade gave in easily but Peter couldn't help but wonder if Wade felt put on the spot. Over the years the Avengers and the X-Men had been on Wade about killing. Time and time again Wade would refuse to stop. So...why did he give in so easily to Peter's request? 

Happy parked in front of the house with a troubled expression and murmured, “Maybe we should wait, get background checks on everyone in the neighborhood, and –.”

“And that’s my cue to go!” Peter stated, opening the door.

“Wait! Let me do a sweep of the perimeter first!” Happy gasped, scrambling out of the car.

“Hap, I’ll be fine,” Peter stated, walking away from him as quickly as possible.

It was hot out, even with the sun setting. Peter had dressed in his everyday clothes of a baggy shirt and jeans. He also wore large aviator sunglasses to help hide his face. As he slipped on the glasses, he morbidly wished his identity had been discovered in the winter. He’d have been able to cover his face without sweltering or looking odd. No one was in their general area so Peter relaxed a fraction.

Wade's place was an older home that didn't look like it got much upkeep, with its peeling paint and overgrown lawn. A few gnomes and plastic flamingoes were braving the wild weeds in the yard and there was a cheerful welcome sign nailed to the door. 

Peter took a step toward the door but Happy jumped in front of him, gasping, "At least let me check the grounds!"

Peter hissed to Happy, “You’re drawing attention to me! I’ll be fine Happy! If I need anything I’ll call you! I’ve still got you on speed dial.”

Happy narrowed his gaze to the people crossing the street down the block and murmured to Peter, “I’ll park around the block and drive the car around every half-hour.”

“Please, don’t,” Peter sighed. Happy was eccentric when it came to Tony’s protection but with Peter he took it to much higher levels.

Happy rounded the corner of the car, walking backwards towards the driver’s side door, and stated, “I’ll be on the southwest corner, except for every hour and half hour marker. I'll be making a sweep then.”

"Hap-," Peter groaned.

Happy opened the front door and reminded him, "Southwest corner." 

Happy jumped into the front seat without another word and drove off. Peter sighed heavily.

Peter walked up to the door shaking his head but paused before it. He quickly slipped off his glasses, shoving them in his pocket. He ran his hands through his hair and adjusted his shirt. He stood up straighter and then knocked on the door.

He barely tapped it before it swung open.

“HellllooOOooo, _baby boy!”_ Wade said, leaning into the doorframe.

Peter’s smile lessened a fraction. Wade was wearing jeans, a zip-up hoodie, and…his mask?

“Uh, hi?” Peter replied. He glanced nervously over his shoulder and asked, “Should I be concealing my identity too?”

“Nah, just…just come in!” Wade said, grasping Peter’s arm and directing his attention back to him.

Peter nodded, staring peculiarly at Wade as he let him maneuver him into the house.

The place was a little messy, a close reflection to the chaos in Wade’s mind, but it was homey. The front door had a small entry way that opened up to a kitchen living room combo with three more doors on the opposite walls leading elsewhere into the house. Peter’s smile quirked back up when he spotted a wanted poster on the wall of Deadpool in the living room. It was written in an Asian language Peter could not pinpoint but he had an inkling that it was real.

Wade closed the door behind them and bolted it shut. He stepped behind Peter as he surveyed the place and wrapped his arms around Peter, crossing them over his chest. He pressed his chest to Peter's back and leaned into him. Peter leaned back with a light smile. 

“Let me give you the tour,” Wade said, leaning into Peter with his chin resting on Peter’s shoulder.

Peter lay his arms on top of Wade’s and said, “Lead away.”

Wade lightly pushed him forward and they walked together. Wade proudly pointed out the Ikea furniture he assembled, naming each one with its proper Swedish terminology. Apparently, Wade also had a roommate who helped him build these but she was out and, from the sound of it, Wade had sent her on vacation to Bermuda so he could show off the place in peace. Wade excitedly showed him everything from his small collection of ceramic ducks to the dusty garage.

And everywhere Peter looked he saw weapons.

With each weapon, Peter's heart grew heavier and heavier.

Had Wade lied to him? Was he going to keep killing?

The tour had ended with returning to the living room but Wade did not extract himself from Peter’s back. He nuzzled his face into Peter's neck and asked, "What shall we do now?" 

"Wade..." Peter tightened his hold on Wade's arms and was glad he was still behind him. He wasn't sure how to bring it up so he murmured, "I'm sorry about last night..."

“What about last night?” Wade asked, humming into the crook of Peter’s neck.

“I kinda ambushed you,” Peter murmured. “With my parents and when I asked you to…not kill anymore…”

Wade chuckled and replied, “It’s okay, baby boy. I was kinda expecting you to bring that up sooner or later. I’ve had the morals lecture from Cap a couple times now so I figured his little boy would have the same kind of morals.”

“We can – should talk about it, I mean, it’s your life and I don’t –,” Peter began haltingly. He had felt stupid doing it over the phone and wished he'd waited until they were together-in-person when he brought it up.

Wade squeezed him lightly across the waist and murmured, “Shhh. No, it’s okay, Peter. I knew this going into the relationship. And, seriously, I don’t mind stopping, especially if you’re the end result." He practically purred the last bit and tightened his arms around Peter's waist. He continued, "But I’m still going to do mercenary work. It's how I make a living and I can't change that. I am willing to downgrade myself to the B-list with no killing but I can make no promises about hurting people or the legalities of my business…”

"You'd really do that for me?" Peter whispered, shocked by what he'd accomplished. The Avengers and the X-Men had been trying to do this for years.

"Of course," Wade murmured. "I don't want to bring an end to us. You made me happy and, well...Vanessa, my late fiance...I always used to say she made the world smell like daffodils and, well, Pete...you make it all smell like gardenias..."

Peter flushed but chuckled, "Gardenias? I don't even know what those are?"

"They're a very nice smelling flower," Wade murmured, lightly rocking Peter with him. 

Peter leaned into him with a sigh and let him rock him. He was a little unhappy that Wade’d still be breaking the law and hurting people, but…Wade was willing to make a huge change in his life for him. And maybe, overtime, he’d start to take on less and less "illegal" work. For now, Peter could accept Wade may have to break the law. Heck, Spider-Man was considered a vigilante since he wasn’t signed up with any government sponsored team so he was technically breaking the law every time he donned his mask.

And then there was that gardenias comment. 

Peter's flush darkened. How deep did Wade's feelings already go? 

He whispered, “I…can agree to that compromise. Though if it's outright illegal _and_ in the press I may not be too happy with you…” Peter added as an afterthought, pressing the back of his head into Wade's chest. He may continue to date Wade but it didn’t mean he had to be totally okay with him breaking the big laws. He was human after all. 

“Sounds good to me, baby boy,” Wade replied, nuzzling his face into Peter’s neck again. It sounded like there was a smile on his voice so Peter glanced up at him but he was obstructed by the mask. He couldn't tell if Wade was really smiling or not.

Peter sighed again and leaned deeper into Wade. He lifted his hand and lightly rested it on the back of Wade’s head. His hand came into contact with the fabric of Wade’s mask and he lightly stroked it as Peter asked, “Why are you wearing this?”

Wade tensed behind him and then buried his face in the crook of Peter’s neck. He playfully murmured, “I wanted you to see my prettier side.”

Peter turned in Wade’s arms so that they were finally facing each other and lay his hand on the side of Wade’s neck, where the mask ended. He replied, “I wanted to see _you_ tonight. The whole reason for us to change venues was just for us to be able to relax around each other without the threat of our identities being discovered.”

Wade sighed, dropping my head, and murmured, “You’ve saw me in Chapter Three, Pete. I ain’t pretty.” He pointed at his mask and declared, “This mask…it’s gorgeous, a work of art, but the face beneath looks like the remains of Picasso’s paint palette.”

“…Chapter Three?” Peter asked, confused.

"Fourth wall," Wade replied cheekily. "Oh, and I apologize ahead of time for Chapter Nine...I always speak without thinking..."

"...What?"

Wade grumbled. "I would complain but one does not upset the almighty author."

Peter stared at him with a pinched brow, not understanding. Was Wade somehow structuring their lives into chapters? Wade sighed and said, "Nevermind..."

“No, wait," Peter said, grabbing onto Wade's arms as the man slipped away. He stated, "Wade, I seriously have no idea what that was all about but, I know what’s underneath that mask and the whole reason I planned this was just to see you: your smile, your eyes, and, yes, your skin.”

“…Really?” Wade asked incredulously.

“Yes, really,” Peter replied and did so somewhat cheekily too.

Wade raised his arm and then hesitated for all of three seconds before taking off his mask. He rubbed at his scalp as if to fix his imaginary hair and his blue eyes regarded Peter self-consciously.

“I didn’t know you had blue eyes,” Peter stated, he wasn’t paying attention before at the wedding. He wrapped his arms behind Wade’s neck, pressing them closer together. Peter made sure to openly stare at Wade to let him see he wasn’t disgusted or wary about his face. This was exactly what Peter wanted. This was Wade. This was the man who had changed everything he thought he knew about himself. He wanted every little bit of Wade, scars and all.

Wade grinned and wound his arms behind Peter’s back. He asked, “Are they captivating? Have they stolen your breath away?”

Peter’s eyes dropped to Wade’s smile and he huskily whispered, “I think your mouth will do a better job at that.”

“Baby boy, you are speaking my language,” Wade whispered, pushing Peter toward his couch.

They quickly moved together, not separating and grinning at each other like idiots until the back of Peter’s legs hit the couch and they fell over together. Wade landed on top of him, pressing all of the air out of Peter’s lungs. He furthered smothered Peter more when he pressed his mouth to his. Wade broke the kiss and gasped, “Let me know if this is going to fast or if you want to be on top or –.”

“Just shut up and kiss me!” Peter demanded, grasping Wade’s collar and pulling him back down on him.

Wade groaned into Peter’s mouth and sunk into the kiss.

Wade shifted his weight and moved his body against Peter to better fit with him. They were chest-to-chest and Peter opened his legs so Wade could mold himself even closer to Peter.

Wade hesitated Peter could tell by the way he held his body and his lips shifted uncertainly against Peter’s mouth. He was probably wary about how much he could touch Peter so Peter raised his calves and pressed the heels of his feet into the dip of Wade’s lower back, pushing him against Peter. 

“ _Peter_ ,” Wade gasped into his mouth as he let Peter’s legs pull him in. Feeling all of Wade laid out above him made his heart race with excitement and uncertainty and adrenaline and…just _pure_ _want_.

It was vastly different from Gwen. Her body had been light and soft with curves and breasts. But Wade…Wade was heavy and hot and his skin was rough with scars and tough with thick muscles. Instead of breasts, he had a broad chest that was flat and Peter was better able to feel Wade’s heart beat frantically faster than his.

Remembering Steve’s words, he paralleled it with the feeling of exploring new territory. It was all new but it was an exciting adventure. Sure, there might be some places may be scary or unknown but he had a drive to keep exploring. He wanted to learn more about what he and Wade were creating and he wanted to go further.

Unlike last time, Peter encouraged Wade to press his hips to Peter’s. Wade was always one step behind him, following his lead like Peter had asked of him. Peter would have teased him for being such a gentleman if it weren’t for the fact that they were both trying to smother each other with their mouths.

And then there was little Wade again. Peter had been expecting to feel Wade's arousal as soon as they pressed together so intimately. He was ready for it this time. He could tell Wade was hardening and Peter would be remiss to admit it, but he was turned on as well. Peter tested the waters and moved his hips against Wade’s. Wade inhaled sharply but rutted against Peter in response.

Peter moaned into his mouth approvingly, making Wade choke on his own breath.

“D-Don’t make noises like that, baby boy,” Wade gasped, kissing the side of his face as he spoke. “I’m barely sane as it is and your mouth alone has taken me to the edge. You start making noises like that and I’ll go totally crazy.”

Peter grinned, liking that he was able to make this larger, stronger man, quake with a simple noise. He hummed noncommittedly and turned his head, recapturing Wade’s lips. And, because he liked to tease Wade, he let off a tiny moan of pleasure for victoriously reclaiming Wade’s mouth.

Wade whimpered and seemed to fall deeper into Peter’s arms at the sound.

Wade was good at revenge however because, suddenly, he was everywhere: his mouth, his hands, his body. Anywhere Peter’s attention went, Wade was there, making him feel dizzy. Wade’s kisses were more frenzied and wild. His tongue licked at the seam of Peter’s mouth and, as soon as he opened it, Wade’s tongue was in there.

Peter’s heart skipped a beat when he felt the hot tongue inside of him. His hands dug into Wade’s flesh a little tighter and his breath seized. He didn’t know how to respond. His first incoherent thoughts were: _whoa_ , _hello_ , _tongue, in mouth, and Wade, man, definitely not Gwen, it’s A LOT more tongue_!... _Do I like it_?

He tentatively touched Wade’s tongue with his own. The merc hummed happily and sucked Peter’s tongue into his mouth. Peter squeaked in surprise but moaned when Wade’s tongue caressed his.

Yes, he liked this very much….

The last time they kissed, Wade made Peter feel precious but now he was making him feel vital, like Wade needed him to survive.

Peter cupped Wade’s sharp jaw and carefully extracted his mouth from Wade’s, nipping at his lips as he pulled away.

Wade’s eyes opened by little slits, enough for Peter to see the blue of his eyes, and he stared down at him questionably.

Peter bit down on his lip and stretched his arms above him, hooking his hands behind Wade’s neck. He moved his body suggestively against Wade’s and Wade’s eyes popped open as their hips rubbed together. Peter’s erection touched Wade’s and Peter groaned, biting harder on his lip from the sensation.

“Oh, God,” Wade gasped. His arms shook and he shakily lowered himself to lay completely down on Peter. He pressed his forehead against Peter’s and he breathlessly asked, “D-Did I do that to you?”

“Yes,” Peter whispered, lightly nuzzling his face against Wade’s.

“H-How?”

Wade’s utter confusion made Peter jerk back. He stared into the man’s conflicted eyes and slowly replied, “You turned me on…”

Wade’s eyes glistened and he broke eye contact, dropping his head. He whispered, “But I’m ugly…”

“ _Wade_ ,” Peter gasped. He withdrew his hands from behind Wade’s head and cupped both corners of his jaw. He lifted Wade’s head and, when their gazes collided again, Peter whispered, “Do you know what the first thing I noticed about you when you took off your mask?”

“The fact that my face is more cratered than the moon?”

Peter smirked and said, “No, I saw your eyes and was drawn in by their _beautiful_ blue color. And then I saw your smile, and I instantly needed to smash my mouth against yours because it was so hot.” Wade's mouth broke into a smile and he ducked his head to laugh. Peter lightly began to caress his face and whispered, “I never once thought you ugly, because, to me, you aren’t…”

There was no questioning the glistening in Wade’s eyes were tears. His eyes looked like they were on the verge of over spilling, especially when his eyes crinkled from his resulting smile. He whispered, “Aw, Petey…you know how to make a guy feel like a million bucks.”

“No problem, what are boyfriends for?”

Wade’s smile widened and lightly sang, “ _My little spidey boyfriend._ ”

“Little?” Peter murmured indignantly, pressing his hips into Wade’s again to remind him how “little” he was.

“No, not little, far from little. _Humongous_. It is tarantula sized in spider proportions,” Wade stated, moving his hips with Peter’s so that they were lightly humping each other. Peter flushed from the obviously overt sex act but he kept moving his hips and the flushed settled into his cheeks with his growing arousal. 

Peter replied to Wade’s statement incoherently with a noise that was comprised of a combined grumble and moan.

“Oh God, baby boy,” Wade gasped. “Those noises you make, make my mind more scrambled than usual.”

“Then let’s see how scrambled we can make that brain of yours,” Peter breathlessly teased, wounding his arms around Wade’s head and dragging him down again. When Wade’s mouth met Peter’s, Peter groaned into his mouth as filthily as possible. Wade all but collapsed onto him and returned the kiss with a mad fervor.

Ultimately, they made out like a couple of horny teens, wildly kissing and groping each other like it was their last day on Earth. When they finally broke apart they laughed, blushed, and irrevocably kissed again. The second time they kissed was more slow and tender. Wade’s fingers caressed the side of his face in a feather light touch and he smiled warmly at Peter when they slowed to a stop.  

Peter returned the smile, feeling completely at ease in that moment with Wade.

“Want to play some video games?” Wade asked out of the blue.

It was so sudden and normal that Peter actually laughed aloud. Hanging out and playing video games sounded like something he used to do on the weekends with his friends. A quick glance at the TV console told him Wade had only the best and was probably an avid gamer.

He turned his eyes back to Wade, who was waiting his reply with a cocked brow. Grinning, Peter replied, “Sure.”

Wade turned everything on and handed Peter a controller. Peter was sitting normally on the couch until Wade decided to sit behind him. Like an obtrusive cat, he stepped onto the couch and sat behind him, pushing Peter forward and slotting his legs on either side of Peter’s.

“How are we going to play like this?” Peter laughed.

“You keep your controller to the left and I’ll keep mine to the right,” Wade murmured into his ear. He pressed himself against Peter’s back and Peter inhaled sharply when he felt Wade’s arousal press into him.

Peter’s mind instantly went to sex and he flushed like a virgin. He was no virgin, hadn’t been for years but, he’d _never_ been with a man and he couldn’t help but wonder what position he’d like when they’d finally do the deed…

Peter’s mind screeched to a halt and his heart did a double backflip in his chest because Peter was no longer considering “if” they’d have sex. Now, it was only a matter of when…

 _Holy_ _fuck_.

His mind reeled from the revelation. Peter had been juggling with his feelings toward Wade and Peter's own sexuality ever since they started dating but now it’d come to fruition.

Peter wanted to sleep with Wade. It wouldn't be tonight and probably not even tomorrow but, eventually, _hell,_ even sometime soon. 

“Ready to go, baby boy?” Wade whispered into his ear, freeing him from his sudden revelation.

Peter licked his lips and focused on the screen before him. A message on the screen stated for them to press “Start” to continue.

Only a couple of days ago, Peter would have freaked out with Wade holding him so, but now…his mouth was dry, his pulse was racing, and he wanted to lean back, deeper into Wade’s embrace.

Peter pressed back into Wade, making the older man inhale sharply, similarly to what Peter had just done. He pressed back onto Wade’s sex and knew the merc had to be biting back a groan. 

More to himself, Peter whispered, “I’m ready.”


	9. Saturday, August 13th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another hiatus has passed! Thank you for your patience. Due to the long length of this chapter, the holidays, and bout of writer's block (A whole new fic was born from this, check it out [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9257105/chapters/20984303)), this chapter took longer to get out BUT it's finally here! Enjoy! :)
> 
> BTW if you haven't read [August 20th](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2082486/chapters/4530894) then the second half of this chapter may be a little confusing...

Peter awoke the next morning with the memory of Wade’s lips ghosting a kiss along his mouth. As he sleepily woke up, he smiled to himself and he touched his lips as he remembered last night with Wade.

They’d parted late into the night and Wade had kissed him goodbye so sweetly that Peter was tempted to stay. But he left, Happy was waiting for him and eventually drove him home.

Both Steve and Tony had stayed up and Peter had said a quick good night and avoided any unnecessary drama.

Peter got out of bed and went to the kitchen, running his hand through his hair and yawning.

“Good morning,” Steve greeted as he entered the room. “How was last night?”

“S’Alright,” Peter murmured, making a beeline for the coffeepot.

“And how was Wade?” Steve casually asked.

“He’s good too,” Peter retorted. He didn’t say another word until his coffee was poured and he was able to have at least a third of the mug.

Steve was sitting at the counter with a platter of breakfast food in front of him and he was holding an open newspaper in one hand. Yet, the super solder’s attention was fully on Peter when he asked, “So, how was dad while I was out?”

Steve smiled and murmured, “Oh, you know him, he worried and fretted and muttered dark things under his breath…”

“Great…” Peter groaned, sinking into one of the seats at the counter.

“It’s his odd way of showing he cares about you. He thinks Wade is taking advantage of you,” Steve explained, folding up his newspaper and crossing his arms in front of him to give Peter his full attention.

“He isn’t,” Peter pressed, gripping his mug a little tighter.

“I know,” Steve replied. “You’re a smart, young man, Pete. I know you wouldn’t have gone into this if you weren’t serious. Your dad just…sees a lot of the world in black and white, you know?”

“I know,” Peter sighed. It was the main reason Steve was put in charge of the team. His dad got a narrow vision when it came to what was good versus bad. Tony knew it too which was why he never fought for the leading role. Glancing at Steve, Peter pointed out, “You’re usually the one to show him the grey side of things.”

“Believe me, I’m trying…I think it’s a little harder because he’s still riled up by your identity reveal.” Steve asked, “By the way, have you figured out when Wade will be coming over for the big meet?”

“…Tonight? If possible,” Peter practically groaned in suggestion.

Steve chuckled and murmured, “Don’t sound too excited…”

“I am not excited to see how Dad is going to react to all of this…”

In his mind, all he could envision was the scene from the _Empire Strikes Back_ when Han and Leia meet Vader at a dinner table. It ended with Leia’s boyfriend being tortured…Not that his dad would do that…Vader and Tony’s motives were _vastly_ different, but the image was still there and was making him dread the dinner all the same.  

Steve reached over and lightly rubbed his arm. He murmured, “Once he sees that Wade is serious about you too, I doubt he will throw up any more of a fuss. Right now, he’s in his protective father mode because he wants to keep you safe…but he also wants you to be happy.”

Looking back down at the dark liquid of his coffee, Peter bit down on his lip and worried it between his teeth. He lightly murmured, “I hope you’re right…”

\---

When Tony eventually crawled out of bed, it was around noon. He found his husband in their shared office. Steve had a few holograms open before him and he didn’t look away from them as he greeted, “Good afternoon, sleepyhead.”

 “And who’s fault is that, _hubby_?” Tony teased.

Steve flushed but turned to Tony with a flirty smile.

Tony strolled up to Steve’s side and then leaned into him. He looked at the holograms and perceived from the text, “Bucky?”

Turning to the screens, Steve murmured, “He’s doing well. The mission is almost done and he and Natasha will be home soon.”

“Good, Clint may be trained by SHIELD but he’s not as ruthless as those two when it comes to interrogation.”

 “ _You_ _wouldn’t_ ,” Steve gasped.  

“I – _and_ _they_ – totally would,” Tony replied smartly.

Steve threw back his head with a groan and said, “Peter invited Wade over for dinner _tonight_. For your son’s sake, please be cordial and try to get to know the man.”

Tony stood up straight and gasped, “He’s coming here?? _Tonight_??”

“Yes, and I want you on your best behavior,” Steve stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tony pinched his chin and thoughtfully murmured to himself, “Vision is practically a lie detector, I should invite him over…”

“Vision is not coming over. This will be a small _family_ dinner so we can get to know our son’s boyfriend.” Tony looked up to his husband and Steve deadpanned, “And that’s final, Tony. I know you aren’t happy about Peter’s choice but you need to accept it or you might hurt Peter in the process and I know that’s the last thing you want.”

Tony looked down with a flush, not wanting to admit to the truth in Steve’s words. He grumbled, “Fine.”

Steve nodded in satisfaction and then changed the subject as he pulled up photos Bucky took during the mission.

He and Steve discussed how well his friend was doing on the mission and in real life but, in the back of his mind, Tony worried over the problem that was Wade Wilson and the possible solutions to getting rid of him.

\---

Peter slipped away to the intern labs in their off hours, unable to stay away from their experiment. He had texted Eddie and his friend was going to meet him there in another 30 minutes, but, for the time being, he was alone with their bio-shield in their new personal lab. He spent a few minutes appreciating the new layout with more advanced equipment and a staging area to experiment with the shield. The shield itself was tucked away in the main freezer, waiting to be used again.

And Peter’s fingers were literally itching to work with it.

He waited for Eddie’s return before touching it and, instead, fiddled with the drawers and cabinets, seeing what went where and familiarizing himself with the layout.

He was trying to do everything within his power to not think about tonight.

Steve assured him he had everything in control and promised a meal would be ready for all of them tonight and for Peter not to worry about any of it. He even promised to have a word with his dad. Peter had slipped away before Tony woke but he could already imagine him grumbling and harrumphing under his breath.

Peter sighed heavily to himself and wished Eddie would get there sooner.

He made his way to a bookcase and cracked open an old textbook and lazily perused through it. He even allowed himself to shortly geek out over the fact he now operated a private lab that was large enough to have a bookcase with reference texts.

By the time Eddie got there, Peter had gone through most of the textbook and relived the class he took the year prior with a professor who kept calling him Peter Porker.

_Ah, the good ol’ days._

“We are dweebs,” Eddie stated as soon as he entered the lab.

Peter looked up from the text with a smirk, and reiterated for him, “We are ingenious dweebs.”

Eddie put down his bags and said, “Yes, most definitely, but dweebs nonetheless. No one comes to work on their days off.”

“No one else is going to be changing the face of biological science but _us_ , at the moment,” Peter argued, getting up and reshelving the book.

“Can we just jump into testing out the goo some more?”

“Oh, stop with the scientific terminology, it hurts my mind,” Peter sarcastically said. “And hell yeah we should!”

Eddie and Peter excitedly pulled the ‘goo’ out of the fridge. They both exchanged glances and Eddie asked the obvious, “Who’s going to test it first?”

“Subject A?” Peter suggested slyly.

Eddie snorted and said, “Fine, but no grumbling about what I throw at you.”

Peter whooped and carefully slid off the beaker of ‘goo’ off the counter.

They had already discussed the next test for them to be holding the experiment close to their body to see if it would react any different with being so much closer to the person it was meant to be protecting. How would it react differently? Would it react faster? Would it push the danger farther away?

“When it gets too heavy for you, it’s Subject B’s turn,” Eddie said as he walked around the lab, grabbing various objects he could throw at Peter.

With his superior strength, Peter barely noticed the weight and agreed with a grin, “Sure.”

“Alright, here we go,” Eddie said and dropped his stockpile of projectiles on a nearby counter. He picked up his first choice, the textbook Peter had just been reading, and threw it at Peter.

Peter had been expecting it but he still hissed in surprise when the shield exploded from the beaker in his arms and deflected the heavy book.

Smiling at the dark mass, Peter gasped, “ _Awesome_.”

However, unlike last time, the mass did not return to the beaker.

It began to expand and surround Peter.

“ _Peter_ …” Eddie said warily, taking a step back.

Peter’s Spidey-senses were not going off so he calmly replied, “It’s alright, Eddie…”

He was soon completely enclosed in a cocoon. Light was still leaking through as the shield was opaque enough in some places. Peter stated, “I think it’s encasing me in an all-encompassing shield for better protection...”

He gently put down the beaker at his feet and then slowly reached out to the shield.

It was warm under his touch and quivered lightly. His heart skipped a beat when the shield reached out to him in turn. Black tentacle-like-cords grew around his hand, wiggling in his direction. His Spidey-senses were still not going off so he watched in fascination as black cords reached out and touched his skin.

“I think it’s responding to my touch,” Peter gasped.

“ _Responding_? Give me more info, Parker!”

“It’s reaching out to me,” Peter replied and more tendrils reached out to touch him from all directions within the cocoon. The tendrils poked at him, exploring the new territory and Peter laughed. He gasped, “It’s curious! I think its sentient!”

“…The alien?”

“Probably,” Peter replied poking one of the tendrils. “I don’t think it ever responded to Mac like this. Maybe our solution made it stronger.”

“I have lost visual for over a minute. Do I need to activate the alarm, Sir?” Friday inquired. The AI’s voice was louder and had an edge to it that Peter had never heard before.

“ _Whoa_ ,” Eddie gasped, hearing the AI for the first time.

“I am _more_ than fine, Friday,” Peter laughed. “But I should probably find a way to –.”

The shield shrunk and then sunk back into the beaker before Peter could finish the thought.

Eddie appeared and was standing in front of him with big eyes. He gasped, “What did you do?”

“I-I don’t know. I was just thinking that I needed to find a way for it to go back to the beaker and then…” Peter waved at the beaker, wordlessly stating the obvious.

“Telepathy?” Eddie guessed and then looked pointedly at the beaker.

Excitement surged through Peter so quickly that he nearly choked on it.

To test their theory, Peter thought a command at the mass.

It mirrored his thoughts, rising into the air like he wanted.

“Holy shit,” Eddie cursed.

Peter mentally let it go and the shield sunk down. He turned to his friend and gasped, “We need to conduct new tests!”

Eddie clapped his back and the tiny tendril on Peter’s neck quickly slithered beneath his collar before either of them noticed it.

\---

Peter did not immediately return to the penthouse after he and Eddie called it quits for the day. Instead, he went to the Avengers’ labs and there he found Bruce and Scott hunched over a _Popular_ _Science_ magazine, adamantly talking.

 “What’s the new discovery today?” Peter asked them as he entered the room.

“Space, the final frontier,” Scott quoted with a serious air.

Bruce snickered and then replied, “It’s an article on terraforming and we were just debating the principle of the matter. But, soon we might be reading about you in here. Is what Tony said true? You’ve successfully constructed the bioshield?”

“Yup!”

Scott got up and offered him a hug, saying, “Congrats, man! When can we see it?”

“Soon? Maybe you guys can provide your more _senior_ experience with the tests?”

“Oh, shut up,” Scott grumbled at the mention of “senior” but Bruce grinned.

“I’d love that,” Bruce murmured.

“Enough about that! Tell us about the shield! How awesome is it?” Scott butt in.

Peter sat down at the table with them and stated, “ _Guys_ , it responds to telepathic commands.”

Both Scott and Bruce’s eyes widened and Bruce gasped, “How is that possible?”

Peter winced internally at his misstep but quickly stated, “Uh um, I’m not giving out any trade secrets until after the Nobel prize.”

“Oh, you cheeky bastard,” Scott retorted with a laugh.

Bruce, however, narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Peter noted the physicist trying to process exactly how he did it so, to distract him, Peter dived into telling them everything he and Eddie had done in the experiments. He neglected to mention the alien symbiote fused with their shield. Both would have become wary about it and would demand it to be quarantined until they better understood it. But Peter had interacted with it and his very DNA was infused with it. The shield was no danger to any of them.

If it was not safe his Spidey-sense would have gone off.

Little did he know, it was _because_ of his DNA being infused with it, Peter would _never_ be able to sense any danger from it. To his senses, this thing was an extension of Peter and not the monster in hiding it truly was…

\---

Peter finally returned to his parents’ apartment and a strange cluster of emotions began to grow within him. On the one hand, he was excited to see Wade and introduce him as his boyfriend to his parents…on the other, he was wary how Wade and his parents would get along, Tony and Wade especially.

He found Steve first by following his nose. The super soldier was preparing their meal in the kitchen. It was going to be a simple meal, cooked mainly on the grill outside. They were going to have hot dogs, grilled corn on the cob, and vegetables.

“Do you need any help?” Peter asked.

“Help with the vegetables,” Steve directed and Peter went right to where Steve pointed.

Peter got into the rhythm of cutting peppers before he finally asked, “Where’s dad?”

“Fiddling with his projects in the lab,” Steve replied.

“At least he's keeping himself busy with non-Wade things,” Peter murmured more to himself. Steve overheard him and chuckled lightly.

“…He means right by you. Just give him time to acclimate,” Steve stated. “He _promised_ me to be good during dinner.” Steve smiled warmly to himself and murmured, “He always keeps his promises to me.”

\---

‘Happy will pick you up.’

The first text was quickly followed by another, ‘If you feel comfortable with it, can you not wear your mask? Your choice. You don’t have to.’

Wade reread the message and made more loud, disgruntled noises.

Last night, he removed the mask for Peter. He let him see the ugly.

And Peter didn’t bat an eye.

He _smiled_ at Wade.

He _kissed_ Wade.

He did not turn away or grimace like all of the others...hell, he was turned on by Wade.

Being with Peter was like a fantastical dream filled with sparkly unicorns, gay rainbows, and the sweetest dick-shaped chocolate lollipops on Earth.

The last few days he’d wake up and wonder if it was really happening. Sometimes he’d even convince himself that it was all a delusion.

He crushed on Spider-man for years but who wouldn’t? He was the ideal superhero, fighting for the common good, not for the government, or a team, or money, or selfish reasons. Despite everything he’d been through, he was still good and pure and…and _funny_! He always made Wade laugh. And don’t get Wade started on that tight bod… _Oh, my God_. The way that spandex cupped Spidey’s ass was God’s gift to the 21 st Century. It didn’t help that there were also people who shipped them hard and made the most amazing (and filthily detailed) fanfictions which Wade totally read.

So, of course, Wade crushed and he crushed _so_ hard.

When Wade realized Peter was Spidey, he almost laughed at the depressing irony. Peter was handsome and Wade was horridly disfigured, a thing out of a nightmare. No way Peter would be into him, especially after seeing his true face. Wade was brash, glutton for punishment so he flirted either way and…

And well, one thing led to another and Wade’s lips still tingled from their numerous kisses and he was going to be meeting his parents tonight as Peter’s actual-not-fantasied boyfriend.

And Peter wanted him to not wear the mask.

Peter wasn’t revolted by the monster he was…

[ _He’s too good for us_ ] a voice in his head reminded him.

“He’s too precious for this world,” Wade countered with his subconscious. “…My little Spidey- cinnamon-roll.” He smiled to himself and reminded himself, “He’s mine.”

Peter wanted _Wade_ and wanted to be _his_ boyfriend.

Wade would gladly remove the mask for Peter. He was already yearning to see Peter with his own eyes and to see him smile _at_ _him_ , not the mask, but _Wade_.

But he knew Steve Rogers and Tony Stark would not look at him with the same joy.

Which was why he was still sitting in the back of the car after Happy picked him up and parked in the underground garage. His mask was on and he was clutching his hands tightly, trying to work up the courage to remove it for Peter. He ignored Happy as the man tried to beckon him out of the car.

The voices in his head had quieted over the years but were now reawakening, telling him he was no good for Peter. First, they started out as whispers but their voices grew into a loud clangor that he couldn’t distinguish much meaning from.

“Wade.”

Peter’s voice broke through all of it and the voices all shut up at once.

Wade instantly tore off the mask and looked at Peter with his own eyes. Peter leaned into the car and then sat on the seat next to Wade. Happy was gone, probably shooed away by Peter to give them some privacy but Wade hadn’t even noticed because he was all eyes for Peter.

Peter was wearing a nondescript shirt and plain jeans. His wild hair was untamed as it always was but he looked as handsome as the first time Wade saw him in a designer suit with his hair slicked back for his parents’ wedding.

Peter pressed himself into his space and he cupped Wade’s face as he whispered, “Are you okay?”

It took all of Wade’s power not to immediately pull the younger man into an earth-shattering hug.

“I am now,” Wade replied truthfully as he leaned into Peter’s hand, enjoying the feel of his warmth sinking into his skin. Peter smiled warmly at him and the butterflies in Wade’s stomach fluttered happily. He quirked his lips and added, “More than fine…”

He finally gave in and pulled Peter in with a laugh. Peter grinned and they kissed. Wade melted into the kiss, feeling like the star of his own personal fairytale. He was kissing the embodiment of Prince Charming, no, Peter was handsomer with a _much_ better personality. Prince Spidey outdid Prince Charming in everything.

Peter cupped his face with both hands and leaned more into his lap and Wade was happy to oblige the movement.

Peter broke the kiss and asked, “Do you want to wear the mask?”

“What mask? I don’t see any mask,” Wade retorted, tossing his mask aside and pushing Peter down onto the full length of the backseat. “I just see one very sexy spider with a tarantula sized dick.”

“You’re such a romantic,” Peter drawled sarcastically, wounding his arms behind Wade’s neck to draw him closer.

Wade lay himself between Peter’s split legs and lightly sang, “Can you feel the love tonight?”

Peter burst out laughing and Wade smothered Peter’s laugh with his lips. He speared his tongue into Peter’s mouth and Peter throatily groaned. Peter curled his hands into Wade’s shirt and wildly returned the kiss, making it filthier. Wade tested the waters and let his hands creep under Peter’s shirt a little.

Peter’s lips upturned into a coy smile against Wade’s lips. The younger man shifted wantonly beneath him and then grasped Wade’s hips before driving his own hips up and pressing their sexes together with repeated thrusts.

 _Whoa_! Petey wasn’t this bold yesterday! Not that Wade was complaining…Wade gasped, “Keep moving like that baby boy and I won't be able to stop.” He already had Peter’s shirt half off with the first shift of Peter’s hips against his. One hand was already stroking one of Peter’s nipples and the other was fingering at the waistband of Peter’s jeans.

“Don't stop-,” Peter breathlessly gasped into his ear. The sound went straight to Wade’s dick along with the rest of the blood in his body.

“Please, by all means, stop right now.”

Both Peter and Wade jolted and looked up to the open car door Peter had come in through. Stark was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and frowning.

Peter pushed Wade off him and scrambled up onto the seat in front of Wade, gasping, “ _What are you doing here, Dad_!?”

“Friday told me of Wilson’s arrival so I came to greet your guest,” he murmured darkly, glaring at Wade all the while. Stark’s gaze shifted to Peter to watch him pull down his shirt and then the glare returned to Wade with ten times the burning ferocity.

 _Shit_.

“Well, I beat you to it,” Peter replied smartly. Wade was extremely tempted to add in how close they were to beating each other off too but declined to add that in favor of keeping his balls. They were very nice balls and he liked them exactly where they were thank you very much. Though Stark looked like he was seconds from ripping said balls off as it was…

Wade placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder and leaned on his back as he stretched out his arm and held out his hand to the man. Wishing he had his mask on, Wade said, “Thanks for having me over, Mr. Stark!”

 _Wow_ , he sounded like a scrawny teen on his first date. Forget Stark removing his balls, they were shrinking out of existence as this awkward moment grew more awkward.

At this rate, he was probably devolve and give a pathetic excuse of goodnight kiss to Peter tonight where their noses would bump and their teeth would awkwardly click and forget any tongue nooo that’s for adults with nicely sized balls…

Stark’s glare focused on his outstretched hand and then back to Wade’s deformed face. After what seemed like a long hiatus, he finally reached out and shook Wade’s hand and grumbled, “You’re welcome.”

Peter slid out of the car and from Wade’s touch as he said, “Okay, cool! Let’s go upstairs.”

Wade looked at the floor where his mask was laying and felt the urge to don it and hid behind the safety of the fabric.

“Wade?”

Wade quickly snatched it up and stuffed it in his pocket. He smiled at Peter and followed him out of the car.

\---

The elevator ride up was quiet and awkward and Peter made sure to stand between his father and boyfriend. He held onto Wade’s hand and leaned into his side. Despite the horribly embarrassing way his father discovered them, Peter’s body was still vibrating with adrenaline and desire. His lips felt raw from Wade’s kisses and his nipple was suddenly more noticeable as it was still tingling from Wade’s caress.

Who knew nipple play was a thing for him?

He flushed to himself and wondered what had gotten into him? Peter was not one to jump into a sexual relationship so quickly but he nearly had sex with Wade for the first time _on the backseat of his dad’s car_. Peter was attracted to Wade but he also had self-control… or, at least he thought he did… Peter scratched the back of his neck, rubbing away a strange sensation.

His mind kept wandering but he forced himself to focus. He needed to be all there for the current situation. He wanted his parents and Wade to get along and it has gone off with a disastrous start.

Under the embarrassment, desire, and determination, resentment was also growing. He tried to smother the unconditional anger but it blossomed as soon as he saw the unwarranted glare his father directed at Wade.

 _Make him feel as bad as he made Wade feel_ , a voice whispered in the back of his mind. A sickening feeling accompanied it and Peter leaned heavily into Wade as nausea washed over him. Why would he think like that? His dad just didn’t understand his relationship with Wade. This dinner was going to help. It had to help…

Before Peter could think more on it, Wade steadied him and that feeling drifted away in seconds, including the anger. He smiled gratefully at his boyfriend and Wade smiled back unknowingly as to why.

\---

Wade kept his mouth sealed shut when he was near Stark… or should he call him Mr. Stark? He definitely wouldn’t want Wade to call him “Dad”…

They parted ways with Stark as soon as the elevator opened, the man cited a need for a shower after working so long in his lab. He left them with a nod and Wade knew to not say anything, even in parting, because as soon as he opened his mouth, the wrong thing would come out and give Stark a reason to hate him even more. So Wade nodded too and silently followed Peter to the kitchen.

Wade, however, could not hold back his squeal of excitement when Peter led him into the kitchen and he saw the great Captain America in plain clothes which were being protected by an _apron_.

Both Steve and Peter turned to look at him in confusion.

“S-Sorry, it’s just…” He waved both hands in the general direction of Cap’s waist and gasped, “ _Apron_.”

Peter snorted and leaned into Wade as he said, “Pops, you remember Wade? And Wade, well, you also remember Steve but you clearly would like to get to know his apron more…”

Wade made another strangled noise. He was still freaking out over Captain America being in an apron but then Peter had to go and call him “Pops” and make one of the world’s greatest heroes so-so… so fantastically _domestic_!

Cap chuckled and his eyes lit up as he looked at Peter. His smile was still warm as eyes moved onto Wade and he instantly stiffened under the Captain’s scrutiny. He stated, “Welcome, Wade.”

“Hi, yes, thank you, Mr. Rogers – Captain, sir!” Wade garbled so quickly that neither man probably understood him.

Cap did catch the gist however because he replied, “Call me Steve, please.”

“Steveeeee,” Wade droned.

He was on a first named basis with Captain America.

Steve.

Stevie.

Stevio.

Steven.

Stevenson.

Stevensville.

Stevensville, USA.

“Oh, my God, you broke him,” Peter laughed. Peter clasped Wade’s cheek and made him look down at him. He stated, “Wade, babe, calm down. It’s just _Steve_. He’s cool.”

“I’m one cool cat,” Steve agreed with a chuckle.

“Never mind,” Peter deadpanned, turning back to the Captain. “He’s just as dorky as the rest of us…”

Wade smiled at the teasing face Peter made toward the blond and Steve’s resulting squawk of indignation.

Peter slipped his hand into Wade’s, pulling Wade with him in Steve’s direction, and Peter asked, “What can we help you with?”

“Grab a plate and bring it outside,” Steve replied picking up two large plates of hot dogs. Peter picked up a huge platter of corn on the cob and then nodded to the plate of sliced up peppers, onions, and whatnot for Wade to pick up. Wade did just that and followed his boyfriend out in a sort of daze.

“Outside” was a balcony that overlooked a fantastic view of the city. There was a jacuzzi tucked in one corner, a full outdoor dining set up, some lounge chairs, and a large outdoor kitchen that consisted of a barbeque, mini fridge, and counter space.

Wade followed them to the outdoor kitchen. The barbeque was already on and Steve lifted the top and turned to them. He stated, “I’ll start now and Tony should be back before we’re done. You two sit! Can I get you anything to drink?”

On the opposite side of the counter were some barstools. As soon as Wade put down his platter, Peter grabbed his hand again and dragged him over to them. Wade sat down stiffly and watched somewhat incredulously as Cap started to put food on the grill.

[So domestic. Much wow.]

“No, thank you,” Wade replied and mentally high-fived himself for being able to slip in some manners instead of vocalizing his voice’s comment.

“So Wade, what have you been doing recently?” Steve asked.

 _I’ve been trying to ‘do’ your son_ , was his instant thought but he knew it would not be a good reply.

Wade shrugged and murmured, “Nothing much, helped out the X-Men a few days ago…”

“You’ve been helping me out too,” Peter countered. Turning to Steve, Peter stated, “He was there for me when my identity was revealed…”

“Thank you for that, Wade,” Steve stated sincerely. He looked up from the grill and said, “There was only so much my husband and I could do for Peter and I did not see him open up until he talked about you.”

 “Pops…” Peter murmured embarrassedly.

“You don’t think I didn’t notice?” Steve teased but Wade didn’t hear it because his heart was beating against his rib cage so powerfully that he could only hear the drumming of his body. He flushed, imagining Peter talk about him in such a way and his stomach tightened with either elation or indigestion…maybe both.

Yeah, it was both…Had to be the leftovers from Taco Tuesday…

Why was Cap being so nice? He was always a nice guy on the field unless you were facing off against him but…? Wade thought he’d be more against him dating Peter because, well, even Captain America had to see Wade was no good for Peter. So why was he encouraging it?

Tonight, Wade thought the best-case scenario would have been having a terse dinner with the folks. He never imagined…. _this_. Steve was smiling at him, trying to get him to join in the conversation, and Peter was laughing at his stepfather without a worry.

Wade felt…

Accepted.

He shivered just thinking of it.

It was just so…so wrong. He was never accepted. No one wanted him.

“Wade.”

Wade turned to Peter as soon as he whispered his name and Peter was smiling warmly at him.

Wade’s heart all but burst from his chest.

Alright, never mind, Peter wanted him and that simple fact couldn’t make Wade more elated or happier. And Wade loved him. He knew it the moment Peter first kissed him. He knew Peter was nowhere near the “I love you” stage yet but Wade just knew he was irrevocably in love with the younger man. The fact that the person who Wade loved wanted to also be with him was earthshattering…and now one of his fathers was okay with it too?

Peter grasped his hand and leaned it on Wade’s thigh as he whispered, “You’re making a very serious face right now. You should be laughing at my Pops’ lame-ass jokes.”

Wade threaded his fingers through Peter’s and gripped him more securely. He retorted, “Baby boy, I won you over with lame-ass jokes, or did you already forget my amazing pickup lines?” He turned to Steve and said, “Sir, it would be an honor to hear your one-liners.”

Steve snorted and Wade grinned victoriously.

Forget earthshattering…this was _universe_ -shattering.

He just wanted to throw all caution to the wind and kiss Peter right there.

That was, of course, when Stark reappeared.

He went straight to Steve and gave him a quick hug from behind. He murmured a greeting to his husband and then slipped from him. He looked to his son and nodded, “Hey, Pete.” His eyes then turned to Wade and all the good feelings he had curdled down into his gullet and threatened to expel in a bout of explosive diarrhea.

“Deadpool,” was his greeting. He wasn’t “Wilson” anymore, not a good sign.

Peter’s grip tightened exponentially. Wade lightly patted the top of their conjoined hands and cheerfully greeted, “Heyia, Mr. Stark!”

Win them with kindness was his strategy for the night and he was going to hit Stark with so much kindness he’ll be singing My Little Pony friendship songs and shitting rainbows for the rest of the week!

Stark grunted and turned to his husband, asking, “What did I miss?”

“Peter was making fun of my jokes,” Steve whined. The hard look instantly left Stark’s eyes as he smiled mischievously at his husband. The change was so quick Wade’s jaw nearly dropped. He knew there was another side to the man but, damn! He felt like he crawled into a Stony fanfiction and fluff was going to ensue. He couldn’t help but scoot forward to be as close to the action as possible.

“I love your jokes,” Stark murmured, wrapping his arm around Steve’s waist and pressing their hips together. Wade was tempted to take a picture of the scene, his hand even twitched in the direction of the phone in his pocket.

He dug his fingers into his thigh instead and reminded himself geeking out over his number two OTP will not sit right with anyone present. Plus, these were Peter’s parents. He needed to build an actual relationship with these men; he should not keep thinking them as these fictional characters he imagined being fluffy together because they were _real_ human beings in a _real_ relationship…and Wade loved their son. Wade was serious about Peter so that meant being serious about his parents. He planned on being with Peter for years to come and Peter was close with his parents so Wade would be the same.

“You’re being uncharacteristically quiet, Deadpool,” Stark murmured.

Peter’s hand tightened even more on Wade’s and his fingertips dug into his flesh. He glanced at his boyfriend and saw Peter’s mouth had tightened into a thin line. He must have also noticed his father refusing to use Wade’s name. Wade lightly caressed the side of Peter’s hand with his thumb and Peter looked to him. Wade smiled gently at him and pressed his shoulder into Peter’s letting him wordlessly know it was alright.

He turned back to Stark and saw the man’s eyes had narrowed slightly from seeing Wade lean into Peter. Wade happily replied, “Just enjoying the ambiance.”

Peter twitched as he held back a chuckle and lay his head onto Wade’s shoulder with a happy smile.

Stark slowly blinked and then gruffly murmured, “We ready to eat?”

\---

Steve shooed them all away from the grill so he could finish up there. Peter pulled Wade over to the table and sat him down playfully murmuring, “Behave.”

Wade grinned cheekily at him and pinched his thigh as he sat down next to him.

Tony sat across from them and Peter glanced nervously at his dad, wondering what was going on in his mind.

To forestall any awkward silences from growing, Peter stated, “Eddie and I worked with our shield today and got some amazing results!”

He’d been gushing to Wade about the shield for the last few days and his boyfriend wrapped an arm around him and stated, “Let me guess, something awesome happened?”

“It’s responding to telepathic commands! I merely have to think something and it moves!”

Tony’s eyebrows raised and he replied, “This _is_ amazing. How did you pull that off?”

“Trade secret,” Peter replied, the omission coming easier to him now.

“Oh, come on, I’m trying to do the same with mechanical science! Maybe whatever you did will help me with what I’m trying to achieve…”

Peter doubted there were any robotic aliens laying around that could do that. He just smiled and teased, “No special treatment for family.”

“How about significant others?” Wade asked. He wouldn’t understand the science behind it but he was joining in the fun.

“Not even you,” Peter countered pressing a finger into Wade’s chest. Instead of being pushed back from the poke, Wade only leaned in closer, smiling warmly.

“So, then you two are like official-official, you’re not like experimenting or anything?” Tony asked.

Peter’s entire chest jerked like it was impacted by a sharp javelin. He gripped Wade’s hand tighter and Wade did the same.

“Tonyyyyyy,” Steve growled menacingly from the grill.

Peter had to have misheard him. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him because his father wouldn’t – _couldn’t_ be so – so _vindictive_. Peter hadn’t dated or really seen anyone in years and Tony knew exactly why. He was one of the very few people Peter opened up to about Gwen and his phobias about dating again. He knew how serious this was to be Peter. _He had to know._

He tried to catch his father’s eye but the man was glaring at Wade. So Peter asked for clarification, “I…I’m sorry?”

Tony’s eyes flickered to him and then back to Wade and he reiterated, “I was just clarifying the nature of your relationship. I wanted to know if you both have the same version of it going into it.”

Peter stared at Tony in shock but a storm of emotions was building up inside of him and was going to break through the stoic veil any second.

He told Tony, Wade was his boyfriend. Tony knew Wade wasn’t just some fling to Peter. Peter would _never_ see someone casually. Tony _knew_ Peter hadn’t seen anyone romantically since Gwen died because he didn’t want to risk anyone else’s life ever again. Dating him was a risk. Even with Wade’s abilities, he wouldn’t have risked that unless he was _really_ serious about him.

“We’ve been serious as a heart attack,” Wade stated, straightening his back to stand as tall as he could while sitting down.

“But are you?” Tony countered. “In all the years I’ve known you, I have never once seen you in a serious relationship. You’ve hooked up a bunch. I’ve heard the stories on the grapevine. But I’ve never heard you actually try to start something with someone. Why now? And why Peter?”

“I’ve never wanted to be serious with anyone until I met your son,” Wade countered, his voice level and devoid of his usual cheery nature. He was being serious right now. He wanted to convince Peter’s dad how much this meant to him.

Peter flushed as he realized Wade’s adoration went deeper than he originally thought. 

“I like Wade a lot,” Peter added to Wade’s statement and scooted closer to Wade so that his leg slightly overlapped Wade’s.

Steve stepped away from the grill and looked at them anxiously. Tony’s face was hard but he looked like he was ready for a battle.

Tony opened his mouth to retort but Peter raised his hand to silence him. He wasn’t done speaking.

Peter’s emotions began to flutter madly within him as he considered his next words. To keep his voice steady, he carefully whispered, “Never in my mind was this an experiment and you know me well enough to understand that I would never do that with someone. Because of the life I live, I need to consider everything before I become romantic with someone. Dad… You know that I don’t want what happened to Gwen to be repeated…” Peter paused as an echo of an ache pressed into his heart as he remembered Gwen. He dropped his gaze, not wanting to see anyone’s reactions. Everyone remained silent which he was grateful for. He knew what he needed to say now but…but it was going to be hard and painful and he was hurt and angry that he was being forced to say this.

He took a deep, strengthening breath and stated, “He is my boyfriend and if you can’t accept that and be cordial with him then…” Peter repressed the childish comebacks that immediately surfaced. He so badly just wanted to be immature and throw a tantrum. He was going to be twenty-two in a little over a week and he still felt like a child at times. He took another deep breath and raised his gaze to meet his father’s eyes as he calmly stated, “Then you were not the man I thought you were and I will need to revise our relationship.”

The air became still between them. Tony looked at him in horror.

“I’m not threatening you, dad,” Peter whispered starkly. “But the truth is harsh and I’m just stating the facts. I accepted you into my life despite everything you had done to me, my mom, and the Parkers…Now, I’m asking you to accept Wade, despite the things he may have done in his past too.”

Another silence grew, this one more oppressive than the last and the look on his father’s face…Peter felt sick by it, it looked like he had personally gutted the man. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want this to happen at all. He was already desperately pinning for the awkward dinner he had originally imagined.

“Savage,” Wade hissed comically under his breath. Despite it being a whisper, everyone heard it and Tony looked even more destroyed.   

“Wade!” Peter gasped, pushing away from him. He gawked at Wade, shocked by his indifferent comment. This wasn’t some internet meme to leave a funny comment on. This was Peter’s father! He was a huge part of his life!

“Sorry!” Wade squeaked.

Peter’s heart still clenched. Wade didn’t seem to understand the depth of Peter and his father’s relationship nor the fragile line they both walked on to keep it. What he said was insensitive to Tony but also cruel to Peter. He didn’t want to be _savage_ to his father, especially on the topic of their relationship. It was still fragile and Peter knew how much Tony treasured it…

Peter dropped his face into his hands, not knowing how to proceed. It was all too much at once.

His father was still silent which was a bad sign and Peter dared not to look at him to see how much this was destroying him.

Peter needed to say something to placate the situation but he had no more words. He was dried up. Wade reached out to him to touch his shoulder but Peter jerked away and Wade drew back his touch.

This sucked. The only good thing that happened that day was his work with his shield and, at that moment, he so badly wanted to go back to his lab. At least there he’d be isolated and would only have to think about the shield.

“Peter,” Steve whispered lowly, as if he was trying to calm a skittish animal. He must have looked horrible if Steve was talking to him as such.

Peter’s head jerked up and he looked to his stepfather, narrowing his gaze so he wouldn’t have to look at the other two.

Steve waved him over and whispered, “Come here. Let’s step inside for a moment...”

Peter immediately shot to his feet and hurried away from the table. He let Steve lead him back inside as he placed a gentle hand on Peter’s shoulder. Peter spared one glance toward Tony and Wade before he went inside. He couldn’t see Tony’s face as his back was to him but his shoulders were hunched.

And Wade…

He couldn’t see Wade’s face anymore because he had put his mask on.

As they passed over the threshold, Peter turned away with a pained noise and gasped more to himself, “I’m such an idiot.”

“No, Pete –,” Steve began.

“Neither of them were ready! I shouldn’t have pushed for this! I should have waited until Dad was used to the idea and I’d been able to tell Wade more of our history!” Peter fell on to the closest couch and gasped, “I messed up!”

“Peter…you’re not the only one at fault here…Your dad…” Steve sighed heavily and Peter glanced up at the man. Upset was clear on his face.

“How do I go back out there after saying all of that?” Peter whispered.

“First, everyone needs to calm down,” Steve placated, lightly rubbing his shoulder. “Only once we have all gathered our wits can we face what is going on here…Would you be alright for a couple of minutes if I stepped out to speak with Wade and Tony?”

Peter nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Steve squeezed his shoulder one last time and then pressed a kiss onto his forehead before parting.

Peter put a hand over the spot where the kiss was pressed and felt torn. The lab was calling to him. He could feel an almost physical pull on his body. But, with the simple kiss his stepfather had placed on his forehead, Peter was reminded of the men on the patio and how important they were to him.

Peter turned around to watch Steve walk up to the table. He went straight to Tony and placed his hands on his shoulders. His father instantly leaned into Steve but Wade did not react to Steve’s presence.

Peter’s heart wrenched seeing Wade so subdued under his mask again.

He tore his eyes from the window and instinctually ran to the lab.

\---

_I fucked up. I fucked up. I fucked up!_

[You royally fucked up.] One of the voices agreed.

{One could say you “savagely” fucked up.} The other countered.

[Ohhhhh, good one!]

Wade clutched his head and hissed, “Shut up!”

“…What did you just say?” Stark hissed disbelievingly, his voice bordering on explosive anger.

Wade glanced up to Peter’s father. He looked wrecked. His eyes were red and his appearance sick, like he was going to vomit, but his eyes began to burn as they focused on Wade.

“Nothing,” Wade squeaked, pulling down on his mask to try to hide himself further. “I said nothing! Just thinking aloud!”

“You –,” Stark hissed. “You see what you’ve done. My son and I’s relationship was perfectly fine before you showed up! And the way you belittle –.”

“Anthony.”

Steve’s voice silenced his husband immediately.

{[He’s fucked.]} Wade’s voices unanimously agreed. 

The tension escalated when Steve placed his hands on Stark’s shoulders. Stark could not see Steve’s face but maybe he could sense his husband’s wrath. Wade was both scared and fascinated. He’d never seen Steve this angry and he’d fought with the Avengers against Hydra.

“Don’t _you_ dare blame Wade for all of this,” Steve hissed. Stark’s hands clenched and his mouth twitched as he struggled with a response. Steve turned his hardened gaze to Wade and Wade quickly tightened his anus, preparing to be scared shitless by whatever he was going to say to him. Instead, Steve ordered, “Go inside and talk to Peter. I will speak with Tony and maybe we can salvage this night with our family somewhat intact in the least.”

Wade nodded madly, glad to escape Cap’s ire. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran inside.

He cautiously opened the door, knowing Peter was somewhere inside. Wade was already prepared to grovel to his boyfriend but, when he stepped inside, Peter was nowhere to be seen on the open floorplan.

“Yo! Skynet! Where is Peter?” Wade asked of the AI.

“I am designated ‘Friday’ by Master Stark, sir,” the AI retorted. Before Wade could retort, it stated, “Peter is going down to the lower levels where his lab is.”

Wade’s eyebrows snapped together in concern.

That was not at all like Peter. Peter wouldn’t have left after such an emotional exchange. That wasn’t him. That was not the caring superhero Wade fell for. What was wrong? What was Wade missing? Wade clearly fucked up with the dinner but what else was he not getting??

Cap’s command was still ringing in his ear and Wade’s heart was pulling him in the direction of the elevator’s metal doors. Whatever it was the drew Peter away, Wade would be there for him.

Without looking back to the couple on the balcony, Wade ran to the elevator and followed his boyfriend.

\---

“It was less than five minutes,” Steve hissed. “You couldn’t be civil with the man for less than five minutes.”

“You heard Deadpool-,” Tony tried to defend himself.

“Wade,” Steve growled in correction and Tony felt his insides shiver from his tone. “ _Wade_ was not the one who started it. We were having a pleasant conversation until you tried to make a wedge by bringing up his past dalliances.”

“He’s no good for Peter,” Tony argued to the plate in front of him. Steve still stood behind him and Tony dared not turn around to see his expression.

He and Steve argued a lot but…they rarely _fought_. They would debate constantly about the Avengers, politics, fighting styles, or who’s turn it was to do the dishes, but it hardly turned hostile or ugly.

Nevertheless, at that moment, it was unquestionably ugly.

Tony could figuratively feel the ugly festering and clogging up his throat. He didn’t want to fight with Steve. He loved this man with his _entire_ soul. He didn’t want to upset him or have him upset him in turn but…it was happening, right now, and there was nothing Tony could do to stop it because Tony couldn’t stand down. He loved Steve but he also loved his son too.

“Why couldn’t you give him a chance?” Steve demanded. “Don’t you see the way he looks at Peter? He adores him! This isn’t the same man we saw senselessly brandishing his katanas on the streets!”

“Oh, but it is,” Tony countered. “Just like all the confrontations he was involved with us in, he’s treating it like a game. He isn’t serious about it. He is playing house right now, but the man is still insane and can just as easily turn on Peter when he grows bored.”

“That wasn’t the man I interacted with today,” Steve steely stated. “And you would have seen that too if you’d just open your eyes and try to see past your own opinions.”

Acid burned on Tony’s tongue as dozens of hurtful and harsh retorts came to mind, but – but this was _Steve_.

This was the man he’d married less than a week ago.

This was the man whom he loved with his entire heart.

This was the man who’d rekindled Tony’s life into something spectacular.

But…this was also the man who wanted Tony’s only son to risk his life for a chance at an illusion of love. Peter was obviously not in the right state of mind after his identity reveal and Wilson was clearly taking advantage.

The hands on Tony’s shoulders began to tremble in Tony’s silence and, slowly, those same hands slid across his chest until Steve’s arms engulfed him in an embrace and Steve pressed his face into Tony’s shoulder. Steve whispered, “Why must you be so stubborn?”

“I don't need to get to know Deadpool more,” Tony stated, childishly proving his stubbornness. “I know who he is and he is not the one for my son.”

He expected another rebuttal from Steve. Instead, his husband’s hold grew lax and he pulled away from Tony. Tony moved with him, fearing losing his touch but Steve separated himself from him all the same.

Tony turned around and Steve was looking down at him with an indistinguishable expression. Steve’s mouth was a thin line as he clenched his jaw and his eyes were glassy. Steve had _never_ looked at him like that before.

Tony emotions tangled helplessly as Tony struggled to react to this new side of Steve.

“Your son was right,” Steve hissed and he took another step back from Tony. Tony lurched with him and felt like he was going to vomit.

Not Steve too. Don’t let those same words Peter said come from his husband’s lips. It would destroy Tony.

“Steve,” Tony pleadingly gasped.

“What should I say, Tony??” Steve demanded, his voice grating under the emotion welling up in it. “I ask time and time again for you to look at Wade in a different light but you keep shooting me down. How many more times do I have to pick myself up until you give in? Or are my opinions really _that_ insignificant to you? And how many more blows will Peter and Wade have to take until you get your head out of your ass?? How else am I supposed to react when you are threatening to break our family apart?! Did you not hear Peter?? Do you really want to push him away because you were too stubborn to just get to know Wade Wilson? I’m your husband and I love you but…” Steve paused to catch his breath. His breathing was shallow and looked down with a broken expression, struggling to contain his emotions. He carefully continued, with a measured voice, “But I can’t stand beside you in this.”

Tony gripped the table tightly and his throat constricted with Steve’s words.

Steve continued, “Tonight was a disaster and I…” Steve cupped his mouth for a moment, inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose. He dropped his hand and said, “And I am so disappointed in you.”

“Steve,” Tony squeaked, his plea as tiny as he felt.

Steve closed his eyes tightly as if he couldn’t bear to look at Tony.

Still not looking at him, Steve stated, “I’m going to go and speak to Peter and Wade and apologize to them for tonight on behalf of both of us…And then I am going to Bucky’s place and sleeping there tonight.” Steve’s eyes finally met his but Tony could barely see it because his vision was starting to blur. Steve leaned forward and grasped his head. He paused but then lightly kissed Tony’s forehead and then pressed his forehead to Tony’s. Steve assured him, “I love you Tony but I am so upset with you right now. I need my space but don’t ever doubt my love for you.”

Steve was trying to assure him. His despair must be as clear as day but it just made everything so much worse.

Tony pushed Peter away and now he was pushing Steve away.

He gulped, his throat dry and, for the first time in years, he craved alcohol.

It’d be so easy to slip back into his old life that revolved around the alcohol contents of the latest bottle in hand. He’d be able to muffle the pain with enough booze.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Steve whispered. “Please, promise me you’ll reconsider your opinions…” Steve bit down on his lips and then pleaded with a more choked voice, “ _Please_?”

Tony nodded stiffly.

Steve sighed and kissed his forehead one last time before he slipped away from him.

Tony watched him go with shallow breaths impeding his breathing and once Steve disappeared inside he felt irrevocably alone…

\---

Peter pulled out the shield and tested out its telepathic capabilities. He had the beaker sitting on his lap as he let the mass lazily circle around him. It was cathartic.

“Whoa, that’s _wicked_ ,” Wade gasped, stepping into his lab.

Peter twitched and then dropped his gaze down at the beaker. His shield circled closer to his body, partially blocking Peter from Wade’s view.

“How did you get down here?” Peter hissed. There were numerous security checkpoints and Wade had no clearance to get past any of them.

“Good Old’ TGI Fridays showed me the way,” Wade replied slowly meandering around the lab and getting closer to Peter.

Peter tightened his hold on the beaker and asked, “Friday?”

“I had observed the entirety of the confrontation and determined it’d be best to bring Mr. Wilson to you,” the AI retorted.

“Friday, baby please, Mr. Wilson is my father,” Wade stated. “Please, call me ‘Dumb Ass’.”

Peter couldn’t hold back his shocked snort and tried to muffle it with his hand.

“I am a dumb ass,” Wade stubbornly retorted.

Peter shook his head and raised his gaze to look up at Wade. The shield parted with his mental prod and he murmured, “You’re not dumb, Wade…I was the stupid one to think this whole dinner would work…”

Wade strolled to a stop a foot away from him and they stared at each other. Peter’s heart felt like it was being crushed as he stared at the mask. Wade retorted, “You’re not dumb, Peter. You’re the smartest person I know. I was…I’m sorry for what I said. Sometimes things slip out and I don’t realize it until it’s too late…”

The shield lowered into the beaker. Some tendrils of the mass caressed his face as they went down and Peter leaned into the touch but his attention was on Wade.

Even his breakthrough couldn’t deter him from this man in front of him.

Peter placed the beaker onto the counter beside him and then stated, “Can you please take off your mask, Wade?”

Wade reached for it with no hesitation and pulled it off with one hand. Peter took one look at his boyfriend’s sad eyes and reached out to Wade with open arms. He whispered huskily, “Come here, babe.”

Wade smiled wobbly at him and threw himself at Peter. Peter was still sitting on a lab stool so he was much shorter than usual therefore Wade’s arm went around Peter’s head and Peter buried his face into Wade’s stomach.

“I’m sorry too,” Peter whispered. He didn’t want to fight with Wade or his father. He wanted peace between all of them.

He also wanted his old life as the nobody Peter Parker who could wear his Spidey suit under his clothes without a care…but he was never going to get that back. Would it be the same with this feud between Wade and Tony?

Wade’s stomach gurgled in his ear and Peter chuckled. He pulled back and looked up to Wade. He said, “Let’s get out of here and get something to eat.”

Wade cupped his cheek and murmured, “Whatever you want, baby boy.”

Peter leaned into his touch with a content sigh. How could his dad not see how good Wade was to him?

Peter stood and slipped his hands into Wade’s. There was one problem he still needed to rectify. He stated to Wade, “Let’s get some takeout and go to our roof and talk.”

“Talk?” Wade replied darkly, his hold tightening on Peter’s hands.

“Not _The_ _Talk_ ,” Peter quickly receded, realizing how bad that must have sounded so soon after their spat. “I…I want to tell you about my dad and how I met him only a couple of years ago and how…turbulent our relationship was at first…I just want you to understand our relationship and why what happened tonight was so much more worse than it seems…I don’t ever want a repeat of this so…we need to talk.”

“I’ll listen,” Wade promised, pressing Peter’s hands to his chest like it was a solemn vow.

“Thank you,” Peter whispered and leaned in, tilting his head back. Wade took the clue and leaned down, lightly kissing him. The kiss was gentle and held none of the fervor of their recent kisses. It felt like a continuation of his apology. Peter ran his hand up Wade’s chest and dragged his hand over his scalp, letting him know his apology was accepted and they were alright.

Peter and Tony though…only time would tell if they’d be alright in the end too...


	10. Sunday, August 14th

When Peter initially woke up, it was like it all had been a dream. 

He was back in his bedroom at Aunt May’s and he could hear her singing to herself like she always did when she cooked.

All those stressful days felt far away and he was just boring old Peter Parker again.

As he pushed himself on his elbow and reached for his phone to check the time, and a hand suddenly hooked itself on his hip. Peter jumped and turned to face the person in his bed, only to impact his face into Wade’s chest.

“Good morning, baby boy,” Wade murmured, his voice made husky by sleep.

The reality of the situation was quick to return with Wade’s presence.

That’s right, Wade slept over. They had talked late into the night and Peter didn’t want to return to the Tower so Wade escorted him back to his aunt’s place in Queens. It’d been so late and, Wade looked exhausted, so Peter suggested Wade stay. They both collapsed onto his bed and Peter fell asleep in seconds.

Peter flushed as he stared at his hands where they had fallen on Wade’s very _naked_ chest.

 _When had he taken off his shirt?_ Peter was so tired he barely remembered Wade crawling into the bed beside him nonetheless removing any clothing. Peter had kicked off his jeans so his bare legs were tangling with Wade’s equally bare legs... 

_Did the man have any clothing on??_

Peter’s eyes raked over Wade’s exposed chest. Peter, himself was a guy so he was no stranger to male anatomy, but _this was Wade_. He had a broader chest than Peter and larger muscles. Peter had felt his build whenever they embraced but now it was out on display…Peter was tempted to move his hands and explore the more intimate corners. Wade’s hands rested heavily on his waist and he looked at Peter with warm, sleepy eyes. However, when their gazes collide, something shifted in Wade’s eyes and he grinned ferally at Peter. Wade’s hands tightened on his hip and he wrapped his arms around Peter, pressing their bodies closer as they began to turn together.

Wade’s hot breath misted over Peter’s lips as he moved them. Wade turned them so he was above Peter. Peter was plaint, captivated by the way Wade was staring at him. Wade stopped moving only once he pressed Peter into the mattress and then his body lay on Peter’s, enfolding him in a cocoon of warmth.

Wade’s body was hot and he also had an _enormous_ …

“I’ve got morning wood,” Wade teased, rocking his hips so his erection would rub the general area of Peter’s genitals. It was an immediate wake-me-up for Peter’s entire system. The only barrier between him and Wade were his thin boxers and whatever underwear Wade was wearing.

 _God, Peter’s boxers were so thin._ Very little cloth lay between them and it was dizzyingly arousing knowledge. Peter bit down on his lip to keep from groaning as Wade’s hard length pressed against Peter’s own softened one…not that it was going to stay soft for very long…

“Yes,” Peter huffed breathlessly. “Yes, you certainly do have an erection and good morning to that – I mean you! Good morning to _you_!…”

Wade leaned forward and lightly kissed the side of his neck. He murmured, “I think your bedhead is now one of my kinks.”

Peter chuckled and ran his fingers over Wade’s back. He was starting to grow hard too and he slowly rocked his body against Wade. Wade hissed when Peter started but he was quick to move with him, rocking with him and pressing his hips into Peter’s. Jolts of pleasure surged through his body every time their hips collided.

Wade dragged his lips from Peter’s neck and against his skin until their lips met. Wade licked his bottom lip and then pushed in tongue deeper into Peter’s mouth. Peter groaned and wrapped his arms around Wade’s head to press them closer together. They began to rock faster and the friction between their bodies made their desires grow.

It quickly felt stuffy beneath the sheets and their harsh, frenzied gasps echoed heavily in their ears.

Last night’s awful dinner, hovered on the fringes of his mind but, with Wade moving against him like this, it was being pushed back. His mind only focused on the man in his arms and how great of a kisser he was and how wonderful his body felt against Peter’s.

“Peter! Breakfast’s ready!” Aunt May called up the stairs.

Wade’s rocking slowed to a stop and then he wiggled against Peter teasingly with a chuckle. Wade murmured against his lips, “Breakfast is served.”

“No,” Peter groaned, pulling Wade back down for another kiss. With their bodies no longer moving together the pleasure that had build up was beginning to dwindle. When they broke apart again, Peter grumbled, “Let’s just stay in bed all day…”

Wade grinned at him but pressed one more kiss onto Peter’s lips and sat up on Peter’s waist. Peter dragged his hands down Wade’s sides until they latched onto his hips and he held tight, not wanting his boyfriend to move.

This was the first time he’d seen what Wade was wearing and the man needed to stay in bed because he was in nothing but tight, white _panties_ that left little to the imagination. It wasn’t weird to see Wade wearing women’s clothing. Heck, he’d once actually fought beside the man while he was wearing a maid outfit. Not to mention, it was incredibly hot seeing his boyfriend in the lacey undergarment and slowly swaying into Peter. Peter’s hold on Wade tightened and he began to rock his hips beneath him again, flowing with Wade and building up that need again.

Wade quirked an eyebrow at him and put his hands over Peter’s on his waist to better push into him. Peter was mesmerized by the way Wade’s ab muscles moved and how his panties moved, revealing a little more skin every time he was pressed into Peter. A flush burnished his cheeks as his imagination ran wild and Peter wondered what Wade would have looked like with no clothes on and rocking like this on his cock. Peter licked his lips, suddenly feeling his mouth go dry.

“What’s going through your mind, baby boy?” Wade moaned. He reached down and ran a thumb over Peter’s lips.

Peter bit down on the thumb and sucked on it lightly, making Wade groan again. He began to rock faster against Peter and thrust down harder. Wade gasped, “Your eyes are swallowing me whole.”

“Peter!” His aunt called, her voice louder with her closer proximity.

Wade squeaked in fear and quickly slipped off Peter. Peter moaned in frustration and glared at his boyfriend.

“I’ll be out in a moment!” Peter yelled to keep his aunt at bay. To Wade, he whispered, “Want to finish the moment?”

“Oh, I’d love to but I don’t want to risk another relative hating on me for practically deflowering their precious boy.”

Peter frowned and turned away from Wade.

 _That_ killed the mood instantly.

Peter sat up and put his feet on the floor. Wade reached out and lightly touched his back, his fingers just barely grazing his shirt. He whispered, “I’m sorry, Peter… That was insensitive…”

“You weren’t far from the mark,” Peter retorted darkly. He quickly explained, “When I texted May last night, I may have neglected to mention that you were going to be here. So seeing you practically having sex with me may have been a little shocking… especially since I haven’t told her we’re dating… or I’m bi…”

“So breakfast should be fun,” Wade joked cheerfully, pressing his chest into Peter’s back and wrapping his arms around his front. 

Peter snorted and leaned back into Wade. He turned his head and smiled warmly at Wade. He promised, “She’ll love you.”

Wade leaned over and lightly kissed Peter. It was a tender and sweet kiss which made Peter pray that he was right about his aunt’s opinion. Aunt May did not know about his other life as Spider-Man. She wouldn’t know Wade was Deadpool either. What would she think when she saw him and his scars? What conclusions would she jump to?

They quickly dressed and Peter paused before the mirror to try to tame his hair the best he could before giving up on the shaggy beast. Wade pressed a kiss onto the mess and swore, “You look adorable.”

Peter grumbled under the praise but flushed happily all the same with Wade’s compliment.

Wade followed him close behind and, on the old stairs, they sounded like a football team charging through the house. Peter glanced out the front windows and was relieved to see no news crews. Peter called her sporadically since he left and Aunt May had said that the media had left after a couple days. Peter wasn’t so sure if he and Wade were secretive enough when sneaking in but it looked like they were in the clear.

Peter could make out the smells of eggs and toast and his stomach grumbled lightly.

As he entered the kitchen, he started to say, “Hey, Aunt May I’ve got…”

He jerked to a stop when he saw they weren’t alone.

Aunt May looked at Peter sympathetically from her place at the island and Steve got to his feet at the breakfast table.

Steve had tried calling him after he and Wade slipped away from the Tower but Peter didn’t pick up any of his phone calls, not wanting to deal with his parents for the rest of the night.

It was a new day now but Peter had been actively ignoring what happened yesterday. Yet, with Steve here now, he could no longer pretend last night was nothing of consequence. He cleared his throat and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m testing out my concerned parent shoes,” Steve replied with an uneasy smile.

“Where’s Tony?” Peter asked, his father’s name felt odd on his tongue. Tony was “Dad” and he hadn’t been on a first name basis with him for years.

Steve also noticed the obvious change and, for the briefest of seconds, he saw heartbreak on the super soldier’s face. Peter’s guilt doubled. He shouldn’t have used his father’s name…

Steve was quick to mask his pain and he replied, “Tony is still at the Tower. I didn’t tell him I was coming here. I wanted to check on you and – _Oh_ ,” Steve gasped in surprise as Wade stepped into the room, finally showing himself. Steve greeted, “Hello, Wade.”

“And who’s this?” May piped up, curiously staring at Wade.

Peter flushed and awkwardly murmured, “Ah, Aunt May this – this is Wade…my, hem,  boyfriend.”

Her brows raised in surprise but then she smiled widely. She gasped, “Boyfriend?! Peter, why didn’t you tell me?? How long have you kept this a secret!” She rounded the island and went straight to Wade. She grasped his hands and pulled him back to the island. She excitedly said, “Peter is such a sweet boy and I was worried he’d never find anyone! How’d you two meet? Can I embarrass him and show you some baby pictures? We can gush over him together!”

“Aunt May!” Peter gasped out of mortification.

Wade laughed and he eagerly replied to May, “Yes, please! I always wondered if it were possible for Pete to look any cuter!”

Peter covered his eyes with a groan. Aunt May and Wade were going to be a terrible force. Steve also chuckled and Peter peeked out at him from between his fingers.

Peter dropped his hands with a sigh and turned to his stepfather. He asked, “How’d you know I was here?”

“May texted me,” Steve replied.

Peter turned to his aunt and she explained, “Your text was vague but you hinted at a fight with Tony so I texted Steve so neither of them would have to worry where you were. If you don’t want him here, I can kick him out.”

Steve blanched but Peter shook his head. He murmured, “It’s fine…” Turning to Steve, he assured him, “You can stay.”

Steve smiled gratefully at him and Peter looked away, still unsure how to feel about him being there…

May was a gracious host so she hustled everyone to the table and refused their offers of help with the food. She put a pitcher of orange juice on the table and hurried back to the kitchen, leaving them alone.

Wade and Steve sat on either side of Peter and, as they scooted their chairs in, May carried over the two platters of toast and scrambled eggs she made. It was a smaller breakfast than what Peter had been eating at the Tower, both he and Steve needed to eat more to fed their high metabolisms and Aunt May was still none the wiser to this fact. They all praised her for her cooking either way and split the portions equally between the four of them.

 Jams were already sitting on the table and Peter snatched up the marmalade and smeared it on his toast.

May’s eyes flowed over all of them, checking to make sure everyone was settled and eating before she partook of her own meal. As she poured herself some orange juice, she bluntly asked, “What happened?”

Peter’s knife slipped, spreading marmalade onto his finger. He glanced from his aunt to Steve to Wade and back to May. He looked back at his toast and slowly continued spreading the jam before he continued.

“My dad…Tony…well, he doesn’t approve of Wade,” Peter murmured to the toast. He shoved the toast into his mouth so he could let his mind calm down a little before continuing.

Steve frowned but did not correct him and May’s brows pinched together. Wade put his hand on top of Peter’s thigh and lightly squeezed it. Peter tipped his head toward Wade and spared him a small, thankful smile.

May sighed heavily and then put her hand over Wade’s. She murmured, “I don’t know what that man is so upset about. Every time, Peter looks at you he lights up. You clearly are a good influence on him.”

Peter’s heart squeezed and he had to pinch his lips tightly together to keep his automatic smile from blossoming. Aunt May liked Wade...

Steve lightly lay a hand on Peter’s shoulder and stated, “I agree, you two are clearly compatible.”

Peter’s eyes heated up as he was overcome by emotion. He smiled at all of them tightlipped in order to keep his lips from trembling. He leaned into Steve’s touch, carded his fingers through Wade’s fingers, and basked under his aunt’s reassuring smile.

All that was missing was his father’s presence and his happy little family would be complete.

\---

Tony was alone.

That very fact hadn’t been probable since he had met and started dating Steve over five years prior.

He went to the one place that had always been his refuge: his lab.

He didn’t work on anything. He didn’t have the heart to even touch anything.

He collapsed onto his cot in the corner of the lab and, thanks to a heavy dosage of sleeping pills, fell into a restless sleep.

Come morning, he woke up with a headache and a hungry stomach but he remained in his lab.

He just sat there…on one of his benches…and stared at the cabinet that held additional lubrication, oil, and coolant for his robots.

Hidden behind all of that was a bottle of vodka.

He had kept it there as a reminder of his strength.

But, Peter and Steve…

His heart shuddered at the memory of their hurt expressions.

Tony had done that to them. He had hurt the two people he loved most in the world.

His mouth was so dry. He wanted to drink the vodka and his resolve was wavering.

Friday was silent whereas Jarvis would have been berating him on his actions. He missed J. Vision may have retained his voice, intelligence, and memory components but…they were not the same. Friday was a good AI but she wasn’t his Jarvis who was programed with the same sass the real Jarvis had, had…After years of noise from the team and his family, the current silence was surreal…

It turned out, Friday was only silent on his end…

“Tony?”

Tony sat up sharply and saw Steve.

A number of emotions went through him but he stayed rooted to where he was sitting and strangled his fingers together. Steve walked over to him in concern and Tony watched every movement like a frightened animal.

“I just came from May’s, Peter stayed with her last night…but Friday said you needed my help?”

“With every passing hour, the chances of Mr. Stark remaining sober was dwindling,” the AI explained.

Steve’s pace quickened and he was kneeling in front of Tony before he knew it. He grasped Tony’s hands, forcing them out of the white-knuckle grip they were in. He gasped, “Tony, you should have called me! I would have come!”

Tony shook his head. His hands were already beginning to tremble so Steve could literally feel him breaking. Tony gasped, “You left. You didn’t want to be near me. I wasn’t going to be petty by using it as an excuse.”

Steve cupped his face and pressed their foreheads together. He whispered, “Tony, I love you, I married you, for better or for worse, I will be there for you…I was upset last night but, if you had called, if you had needed me, I would have come…”

“I’m sorry,” Tony gasped, his voice breaking.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” Steve countered, running his fingers through his hair in repetitive motions.

“Is Peter here?” Tony asked, afraid to hear the about Peter or what their relationship had evolved into… Did he even want to see Tony?

If Steve told him Peter didn’t want to see him then even his husband’s presence wouldn’t stop him from reaching for the bottle.

“I left him at May’s with Wade. May had taken out Peter’s 2nd grade photo album and was thoroughly embarrassing him. He was a hotdog for Halloween that year apparently…”

Tony felt a flair of indignation at the mention of Wade. Of course, May liked the man. She was civil with Tony and just barely at that…

Steve sighed unhappily and pulled back from him. He noted, “You’re not happy that I mentioned Wade.”

“Not particularly,” Tony replied crisply. He grasped Steve’s wrists, locking his hands in place so he could not pull away from him any further. Steve did not resist him and his fingers curled into Tony’s hair.

“What will it take for you to change your opinion about the man? Peter cares deeply for him. He _needs_ you to give Wade a chance.”

Tony’s heart clenched as he remembered Peter’s statement last night. Peter _had_ given Tony a chance.

Originally, Tony had cut Peter out of his life before he had been born. He did not seek him out until he was nineteen. He wasn’t there for his son as he grew up and when lost too many members of his family. He practically ignored the boy and he couldn’t even imagine the enormous list of wrongs he had done to his parents, Mary especially… There had been a lot Peter had to forgive him for, for Peter to even speak with Tony…but forgive he did and now he wanted Tony to do the same for Wade? A mercenary? A madman and a killer? What if Wade turned on Peter? Would Tony ever be able to forgive himself if that happened?

“Wade looks at him like you look at me, Tony,” Steve whispered.

“Don’t compare me with him,” Tony muttered indignantly, glaring at Steve’s chest.

“Fine,” Steve sighed heavily. “But, you will do it, won’t you? Give Wade that chance? I…” Steve dropped his head with a sigh and murmured, “I would ask you to promise me you’ll try but the last time you promised the same and we all saw how well that went…”

Tony winced. Steve had clearly not fully forgiven him yet. Tony leaned forward until his head was pressed against Steve's stomach and Steve wrapped his arms around Tony’s head in an odd embrace. Tony wound his arms around Steve’s waist tightly and whispered, “I’m sorry for that. I’m so sorry, Steve…I know this probably sounds empty to you right now but…I promise it will never happen again. I promise…” He bit down on his lip and then also swore, “And…And I’ll…I’ll give Wade his chance…it’s the least I can do for Peter…”

Steve pressed a kiss to the top of his head and huskily whispered, “Thank you.”

Tony merely buried his face deeper into Steve’s stomach and hoped he wasn’t too late to salvage his relationship with his son.

\---

Not that Peter did not enjoy his aunt embarrassing the hell out of him, but he found that he and Wade suddenly could not impose any longer.

“Wade, dear! Don’t forget brunch on Tuesday!” May called after them.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Wade replied excitedly, waving to Peter’s aunt with a big grin plastered on his face.

Peter waved to his aunt one last time and then jumped into the car and jerked Wade in after him.

“I love your aunt,” Wade declared, shutting the door behind him.

“And she loves you too apparently,” Peter groaned.

“Jealous?” Wade murmured into his ear. His breath was hot and it brushed against Peter’s ear and neck, making shivers run down his spine. The memory of waking up to Wade in his bed resurfaced and those feelings began to rise too.

Peter retaliated by dragging his fingers over Wade’s chest until he hooked his hand on Wade’s neck. He asked with a sultry undertone, “Should I be?”

Wade nuzzled his face into Peter’s neck and retorted, “Never.”

“Hem hem,” broke Peter free from his haze. He looked to the front of the car where a red-faced Happy was watching them from the car’s middle mirror. With Peter’s attention on him, Happy asked, “Where to Sirs?”

 _The lab_ , was Peter’s immediate thought. He wanted to work with his shield again. The dark mass was practically calling to him.

Wade suggested, “How about my place?” He then kissed Peter’s neck and his hands dug into his waist, leaving little to the imagination what Wade had planned to do with him there. He whispered into Peter’s ear, “We can pick up where we left off this morning…”

And Peter suddenly found the draw to his amazing shield lessened as he imagined Wade in his underwear, rocking against Peter, and panting heavily.

“We’ll go to Wade’s, the same address we went to last time!” Peter said to Happy and pressed the button to put up the personal screen between them.

As soon as Happy was out of sight, Peter pounced onto Wade’s lap. He grinned wiley at his boyfriend and Wade’s smile mirrored his. Wade’s hands clasped his thighs and he began to rub them. His thumbs grew close to his crotch with every pass. Peter surged into his touch and caught Wade’s startled gasp with his mouth.

\---

Wade had been worried how Peter was going to react to morning after such a disaster of a dinner. But, after Peter’s eyes slowly trailed up his body and finally latched onto to his eyes with full blown lust in his gaze, well, Wade’s fear quickly evaporated.

When the car came to a stop, Peter quickly scrambled off him and Wade heartily groaned. With sparkling eyes and a smirk, Peter teased, “Patience!”

Happy opened the door for them and Peter stepped out first. Wade’s eyes were glued to his ass as the muscles flexed from the movement. His hands were itching to go back to squeezing it.

Wade followed him closely behind and Peter grasped his hand as soon as they were outside.

Happy was frowning but his upset was only directed at Peter. He asked, “Are you sure you do not want to return to the Tower?”

Peter’s face sunk with his mood change and then he sunk into Wade’s arms. Wade worriedly looked down at his boyfriend and wondered what was going through his mind. Peter had adamantly steered away from any conversation about last night all morning.

“We could postpone –,” Wade began to murmur in his ear.

“No,” Peter stated loudly, for both Happy and Wade. “I don’t want to see my father right now. Period. I’ll call you if I need you, Happy.”

Peter’s grip on him was steadfast and he pulled Wade after him. Wade followed diligently and shot Happy a sympathetic look as he passed the scowling man. His eyes immediately returned to the back of Peter’s head and he worried for the younger man. What was going through his mind? How was he handling all of this? Wade wanted to ask him but he was also afraid of upsetting his boyfriend further…

Wade quickly opened the door when they reached it and Peter jerked him inside. Peter then slammed the door closed by pushing into Wade’s body with his own and slamming his mouth against Wade’s.

Wade squeaked and gripped Peter’s shoulders tightly and pushed him back. He gasped, “Wait, Pete! Wait!”

Peter slumped against him and pressed his forehead to his shoulder.

Wade froze, not knowing what to do. He was the kind that rushed into danger and had gone through life without a care in the world. This…this was different. He’d never cared for a person or wanted to comfort another like he did with Peter.

And Wade was stumped.

He didn’t really have any experience on how to react. _What should he do?_

“I just want to be with you,” Peter whispered into Wade’s shoulder.

Wade haltingly wrapped his arms around Peter and, feeling tongue-tied, replied, “I-I want to be with you too, Peter, but…”

“But you think I should go back too?” Peter murmured, not moving.

“I think…I think you should do what you want to do,” Wade stated carefully. “You can stay here with me or you can go back to the Tower…or you can go ride the Ferris wheel at Coney Island.”

Peter snorted and finally pushed back to look up at Wade and ask, “And why on Earth would I want to do that?”

“Because it’s fun,” Wade retorted, swaying lightly. Peter moved with him and lay his head right under Wade’s neck. Wade tucked his chin right over it and inhaled the faint scent of shampoo from Peter’s hair. For a few passing moments, they simply swayed like a pendulum of a clock, and Wade imagined that time slowed down just for them.

“I want to make things right with my dad but…I…I just don’t see how it’s possible because I'm still so upset with him,” Peter whispered softly into his shirt.

Wade opened and closed his mouth a few times, grasping for the right words. Wade’s dad beat him and he barely remembered his mom. He had no relevant experience with parents, especially ones that loved their children. Peter’s situation was vastly different and had so many levels to its history. Should Wade do like in the movies and pat Peter’s back and deliver a moving speech that would move Peter so much that he would feel obligated to see his father? How in the hell would he accomplish that in the first place??

Peter took Wade’s silence as enough of an answer and laughed humorlessly. He looked up at Wade with a sad smile and interlocked his fingers behind Wade’s neck. Peter stated, “See? It’s not possible so…let’s just go back to kissing.”

Wade stopped swaying and Peter leaned forward to initiate their kissing again.

Except, Wade leaned back.

[What are you doing?!]                                                                  

“No, wait,” Wade stopped Peter again. Wade’s body (and at least one of his voices) was all gung-ho about continuing. However, Wade’s soul innately knew it was wrong and his very heart clenched at the thought of being with Peter only for lust.

And he knew for a fact that Peter would feel the same.

What was Wade missing??

“Wade, I want to keep kissing,” Peter stated with an annoyed edge and narrowed gaze.  

“I do too but…” Wade cupped Peter’s face and closed the distance between their gazes so he could fully look into Peter’s eyes. “What is it?” He asked Peter, “What am I missing, baby boy? I want to help you but I was never into the big and noble gestures, you are, so I need you to show me the way…”

“What are you babbling on about?” Peter grumbled.

“The Peter I know wouldn’t brush aside his relationship with his father so easily for an easy fling,” Wade stated the fact that had been festering in the back of his mind.

Peter pushed Wade off him and growled, “What are you talking about?!”

“Why are you avoiding your problems with your dad?!” Wade retorted, his words gaining momentum. “The Peter I know would do all within his power to make all that is wrong, _right_!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Peter hissed, “You just found out about our backstory, don’t think you know everything! It is all much more complicated than you think!”

“I know enough about _you_ , Peter,” Wade stated. “We may have only just started dating but I’ve fought beside and known you for years and not once had I ever seen you turn your back on a friend when the going got tough.”

Peter grabbed the back of his neck, almost like it pained him, and he stated, “You do not know what you are talking about.”

“I know you, Peter,” Wade stated with conviction. He moved forward to cup Peter’s cheek but Peter jerked back, away from Wade’s touch.

“You clearly don’t,” Peter stated. He put his hand on the doorknob and then jerked it open. The door hit Wade in the back as it opened and Peter shouldered him aside as he went outside.

Wade’s eyes did not follow Peter’s progression but he heard Peter speak to Happy about leaving. The bodyguard must have still been there and, in no time, he heard the slamming of car doors and then the rev of the engine.

Wade lightly tapped the front door with his back without looking at it and it closed with a gentle click.

[NooOOOooo!! We could have gotten into his pants! We could have sucked on his tarantula ginormous dick and made him come all over us!]

Wade fell back into the door with a groan and clutched his head. He fucked up again! How did he keep doing this?!

{… _sigh_ }

“Oh, what let me guess? You’re upset I stopped Peter too?” Wade grumbled to the second voice.

{No} his voice whispered, so quietly he could barely hear it in the silence of his home. Wade picked up his head in surprise and his voice continued, {Our baby boy…he’s hurting and something is wrong…He needs our help. We need to help our baby boy.}

Wade rubbed his forehead and whispered, “What is it I’m missing?”

\---

“It’s Venom, isn’t it?”

Peter looked up from the shield’s dark mass and saw Eddie enter the lab.

“What are you doing here?” Peter asked. He self-consciously dropped his gaze, knowing he had to look a mess. His eyes felt red and raw and his face splotchy.

He made Happy drive him around until he finally decided on returning to the Tower but he didn’t go to the penthouse. Instead, he went to his lab and took comfort in the bio-shield.

Why did he have to keep screwing things up with the people he cared for?

“I was drawn back to Venom too,” Eddie replied, his eyes glued to the beaker in front of Peter. Tendrils were swaying from its surface. Peter’s mind felt blank but he had assumed his subconscious was calling to the shield and making it move like that.

“Why are you calling it Venom?” Peter replied.

“The Venom sample was what made this possible,” Eddie retorted with a shrug and sat down next to Peter. Eddie reached out and lightly touched the beaker. Peter clenched his fist, batting away the urge to move the shield closer to his person. “Venom also sounds cooler than the 'Biological Protoplasm, Host Deoxyribonucleic Infused Acid Shield.'”

“I thought bio-shield was fine,” Peter retorted with a tired grin.

“Yeah, but we know it can be more than a shield now. With our minds controlling it, it can be a shield, body armor, a weapon, or something as simple as an umbrella. The possibilities are endless and ‘Venom’ makes it sound more badass.”

Peter was still staring at the beaker but, with Eddie’s statement, his eyes widened drastically. It _could_ be full body armor…or, maybe, a living suit that could change its appearance and protect its user’s _identity_.

This could be his solution to protecting Spidey’s identity.

He wouldn't have to worry about hiding his uniform under his clothes if his uniform was actively working to hide itself.

Turning to Eddie with his excitement mounting, he stated, “It could be anything!!”

“That’s what I just said,” Eddie retorted dryly.

Peter wondered if it could even look like a plain shirt and Venom moved without any more prompting. It slid out of its beaker and over Peter’s body. It wrapped around him and then settled itself over his shirt, looking like a plain black t-shirt.

“So cool!” Eddie gasped.

Peter touched his chest. It felt silky soft but was so durable he couldn't even feel his heartbeat through it.

“I could wear this and no one would think twice about it…” Peter murmured to himself.

“We should test it out on the streets and see how it reacts to big crowds, traffic, and the weather,” Eddie stated, pulling Peter toward the lab exit.

Peter wanted to test it out in the city but swinging in the skies as Spidey. Could it look like his suit too? It’d been days since he last went out as Spider-Man. He used to go out every night…he missed it and felt guilty for not going. Many people probably had needed him…

Venom vibrated his skin, sensing his torn thoughts. He willed it not to shift into his uniform just yet…he'd try it later when Eddie was gone...

“We’ll go down to the tourist level of the Tower first,” Eddie murmured, his thoughts still with the experiment. “It’s the weekend so it should be plenty busy and we can monitor Venom with the crowd. Though… we need to get you some kind of disguise because as soon as people find out you’re Peter Parker they’ll be swarming all ov-…”

Eddie opened the door but paused when he found Tony standing outside.

Peter jolted to a stop behind Eddie and stared at his dad with wide eyes.

Tony looked like crap. Peter could tell he hadn’t gotten any sleep and he was extremely disheveled. He was even wearing the clothes he had worn yesterday… When their eyes met, Tony’s gaze grew wary.

Peter knew Friday would tell his parents he was there the moment he had stepped into the building. When neither first appeared, he had assumed they were giving him his space. How long had Tony been out there?

“Eddie…we’ll have to do the experiment later,” Peter murmured.

“Yeah,” Eddie replied uneasily. It was probably obvious that something was wrong between Peter and Tony. Eddie continued, “Um, yeah, I’ll…I’ll see you later. Hem. Nice to – uh – meet you, Mr. Stark.”

Tony nodded to Eddie as he slipped past him and then he waited until the door closed behind the intern to he direct his gaze back to Peter.

Peter nervously touched his shirt, taking comfort in Venom’s soft feel.

“Friday told me you were back,” Tony offered in explanation of his appearance.

“I figured,” Peter replied with a shrug.

Silence fell between them and it became all too apparent very quickly.

Peter had no idea what to say. He wanted to berate and apologize to Tony at the same time. The wounds were still too fresh for him to think rationally.

“I…” They both began simultaneously and then they grinned sheepishly at each other.

“Peter…” Tony stated, “I...I'm sorry for last night and how I treated both you and Wade. It was wrong of me and…you were right. You gave me so much. I need to meet you halfway and return the favor. So, please…come back home. I'm sorry…”

Peter’s eyes instantly heated but he blinked it away until it was nothing. His emotions were everywhere with his father’s declaration. The urge to push him away was still there but the urge to embrace him and forgive was even stronger.

Wade’s words came back to him. He was right. This wasn't Peter. He didn't want to have this space between him and his father. They had their problems but they could work it out. Tony was already breaching the chasm. It was Peter's turn to reach out.

So Peter did just that. He pulled him father into a hard embrace and buried his face into the man’s shoulder. Tony's arms whipped around him in seconds and he also pressed his face into Peter's shoulder. He gasped, “I love you, son.”

“I love you too, dad.”

Their exchange was like a magic spell washing over him. He relaxed into Tony's hold and felt all his worries wash away.

He might've been imagining it but Tony's arms seemed to tighten even more around him.

And Venom squirmed against his skin.

\---

Peter followed his father back to the penthouse and they had lunch with Steve. Steve was smiling proudly at both of them the entire time and Tony had to poke him a few times before he finally cut it out. With Peter’s feelings still so raw, it felt refreshing to relax with them.

After the meal, however, Peter knew he needed to go.

“I walked off on Wade when he wanted me to talk to you instead of…well, doing other stuff,” Peter explained with an embarrassed flush to his dad. “And…I need to apologize to him. It can't wait. I was an ass to him and he doesn't deserve it.”

“Alright, kid, go! Will you be coming back tonight?”

Peter flushed and glanced away from his dad and he replied, “Maybe? I don’t know…I was…I was thinking about spending the night at Wade’s…”

Tony’s brows rose to his hairline and he gasped, “Y-You –.”

“He’s my boyfriend and I am an adult male with needs, dad,” Peter replied sarcastically.

“Okay,” Tony said covering his ears and turning away. “Too much information!”

“Now you know how I feel after walking in on you and Pops!” Peter retorted, playfully pushing his shoulder.

Tony rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Alright, alright, I’ll see you tomorrow though?”

“Definitely,” Peter agreed.

Tony smiled warmly and he was already looking better since he first stepped into Peter’s lab. They embraced one last time and Peter ran to the elevator.

He reached out to press the button for the parking garage but paused when he noticed his shirt sleeve. He'd forgotten he was still wearing Venom.

As he stared at the sleeve, it moved and covered the rest of his arm and hand. He watched in fascination as it spun around each individual finger until he lost all sight of his flesh.

He then felt it beginning to move up his neck. For a split second, Peter felt fear as anyone would with the knowledge that a foreign object would be covering his mouth and nose, taking away his ability to breathe. But his Spidey-sense did not go off, so Peter relaxed and let Venom completely cover him. He closed his eyes as it covered his face and gave it a few seconds before he opened his eyes.

The metal doors to the elevator were closed so his eyes were met with his distorted reflection.

“Wow,” he whispered and reached out to touch the reflection. The suit was entirely black with a white spider emblem on the front and white eyes. He gasped, “This is so cool.”

“What level would you like to go to, sir?” Friday enquired. Peter glanced up at the camera in the corner and then back down to his hands.

He replied, “Top level, alpha exit.”

The elevator began to move without any more prompting but Peter kept staring at his hands, his excitement mounting.

He could accomplish so much with this. He even felt physically stronger wearing it. He wouldn't have to explain away cuts or bruise to Aunt May anymore either!

He was unstoppable.

When the elevator opened, the alpha exit for the team members who could fly was already open for him. He jumped into a sprint and leapt from the building, hooting with excitement.

\---

Wade was slumped on his couch with a bucket of knives next to him. He was playing “How many knives can I throw at the wall to feel better?” Twenty-three didn’t cut it. The 24th blade was in his fingers and he was lazily deciding where to throw it while his subconscious handled more serious matters: Peter.

Was he overthinking it?

No, Peter had been acting odd…

But, why?

Was it because of the whole identity reveal? Was that the stressor that had skewed Peter? Or was it something else?

Wade groaned heavily and threw back his head. What the hell was he supposed to do?? He faced problems head on and made fun of their stupid faces! He didn’t dive deeper! He wasn’t serious!! He –! He hadn’t loved anyone like this before to truly care what was happening…

He sighed again, this time more lightly.

“What more can I do, baby boy?” Wade whispered to the quiet house.

There was a loud thump in the laundry room and Wade sat up.

Okay, not so quiet house now.

All the local street kids knew breaking into his place meant a bucket load of pain so who was the idiot doing it? Wade picked up his bucket of knives and went to find the intruder.

A dark figure was hunched over his laundry basket. It must have knocked it over when it slipped in from the window and it was putting the clothes back in it.

Wade halted as his eyes took in the flawless pure blackness of the figure and his eyes eventually trailed to the ass (because, hey, he was human) and he’d recognize that ass anywhere.

“Peter?” He asked incredulously.

The figure stood and the blackness melted away from the face, revealing Peter. Peter grinned at him and his eyes trailed down to where he held his box of knives in one hand and in the other he had the 24th still.

Pointing at the knives, Peter teased, “Are you angry about the laundry or are you just happy to see me?”

Wade whispered, “You're back…”

“I’m sorry,” Peter said, stepping up to him. “I was stupid, I talked to my dad, and –.”

Smirking, Wade dropped the knives and pulled Peter into his embrace to kiss him silent. Peter was fine. Wade had been overreacting as usual.

Peter’s arms were around him in seconds and he pushed Wade out into the hallway and into the opposite wall. Peter’s tongue was down his throat in seconds and his body was pressed into his, moving almost sensually against his hips.

They broke apart to breathe and Peter gasped, “I’m sorry, you were right, I was wrong. I talked to my father and we’re good. Then I tested my new suit and knew I had to see you and…” Peter thrust his hips into Wade’s and continued, “Feel you.”

Wade groaned and put his hands on Peter’s ass, pressing him closer to Wade. His baby boy was hard, it was like a freaking iron pipe pressing into him. This couldn’t possibly have happened so quickly. He had to have crawled into his window with it. The knowledge that Peter broke into his house with a boner was strangely arousing.

Peter wrapped his arms behind Wade’s neck and started to kiss him again as he dragged Wade across the hall toward his bedroom. A few frames were knocked off the wall in the process but Wade didn’t really mind because he was going to his bedroom with a highly-aroused Peter and only good things can come of this.

He had cleaned up his room for when he gave Peter a tour of his place and, thankfully, it didn’t become too disorderly since then. A few wobbly steps into his bedroom and Peter pushed him onto the bed and then jumped right on top of him.

Peter’s hands were under his shirt but Wade’s hands could find no disruption in the new black Spidey suit he was wearing. He groaned in frustration and cracked open his eyes. The sight he saw made him hiss in fear. Peter’s suit was _moving_. He saw it before when he revealed his face but – but now he could see that it was alive. Its dark tentacles were swaying above him.

Wade pushed Peter back and gasped, “You’ve got John Carpenter’s _The_ _Thing_ growing out of your back!?!”

Peter’s brow pinch in confusion and then he looked over his shoulder to the thing moving on his back. He murmured, “Don’t worry, it’s just Venom, my bio-shield, I’m using it as my new Spidey suit.”

Peter bent down to continue kissing him but Wade pressed a hand to the center of Peter’s chest and said, “No, stop. _The_ _Thing_ is freaking me out.”

Peter sat up with a sigh and said, “If I take it off, will you be willing to continue?”

“Unquestionably,” Wade retorted.

Peter snorted as he slid off him and glanced around Wade's room before his eyes settled on a small, empty trashcan. He picked it up and asked, “Can I keep it in here?”

“Go for it,” Wade replied and adjusted himself on the bed to better watch his boyfriend. He asked, “Am I going to get a strip tease out of this?”

Peter snorted again as the suit melted off him and pooled into the can. He was wearing the same clothes as before underneath minus his shoes. Once the dark mass was off him, he dropped the now full trashcan on Wade’s desk and walked back over to him.

A flush blossomed on Peter's face and he murmured, “I've actually never done a strip tease before…”

“I was teasing,” Wade replied. He reached out and lightly grasped Peter's hand. He asked, “Come back to bed?”

Peter nodded and crawled back on top of him. He was blushing like mad sitting on Wade's waist where he had been gyrating against him moments before. Peter lightly placed his hands on Wade's chest and murmured, “I totally jumped you.”

Wade laughed and retorted, “Yes, you enthusiastically did.”

“I didn't think I could be such a horn dog…” Peter murmured.

“I kinda initiated it,” Wade teased and he shifted his hips into Peter, lightly humping him.

“And I kinda escalated it,” Peter replied, rolling his eyes. Peter's fingers dug into Wade’s chest and his thighs tightened at Wade's sides. Peter looked down at their bodies and then slowly drew his gaze up from where he sat on Wade’s waist to Wade’s face.

“This is really happening?” Peter whispered.

“Only if you're ready,” was Wade's instant retort. He wanted Peter like crazy but there was no way he'd ever take advantage of him.

“I am ready,” Peter reassured him, running his hands along his chest, his fingers were tracing the dips between his pecs and just above his abs and it was very distracting. Peter continued, “I know I am, it's just…with Venom on, I was all caught up in the moment with all this adrenaline but now…I just don't want to disappoint you. I've never slept with another man before and –.”

Wade placed a finger over Peter's lips and said, “Say no more.” Peter leaned into his touch and Wade moved his hand so he was cupping his face. He traced Peter’s cheek with his thumb and Wade promised, “I know you'll be amazing. You're Spider-Man! You can't be anything less! What you've done to me already has made me nearly blow my load!!”

Peter's flush deepened and a small smile twitched at his lips. He murmured, “You have such a way with words.”

“Sexy, ain't it?” Wade asked, winking at him.

Peter shook his head with a chuckle and said, “This is going to be different with a man though…”

Wade grasped Peter’s waist and thrust his cock against Peter as he agreed, “Uh huh.”

“ _Jesus_ ,” Peter gasped, grabbing Wade tightly. Peter swatted at him for the move and Wade happily laughed as he fell back into the bed with his arms folded over his head. He gazed up at Peter loving his stubborn frown. That frown grew into a warm smile and Peter blushed but his gaze did not break away from Wade’s.

Peter ran his hands along Wade’s chest and whispered, “I want to make love with you.”

Wade’s entire body sizzled with the words and his hands grabbed onto Peter’s upper thighs like he was preventing him from flying away or changing his mind. Peter’s fingers trailed back to his chest and followed the channels of his muscles. Wade wanted to physically reciprocate but he didn’t want to deter Peter, who looked like he wanted to say more on the subject.

Wade shakingly whispered, “I – I want to make love with you t-too.”

Peter grinned sheepishly and then asked, “How are we going to do this?”

“How?” Wade chuckled, “Well when two boys, who like each other very much, get some lube and naked, they fuck each other like wild –.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Peter interrupted him with a flush. “With a female it’s easy, take Piece A and insert it into Piece B…We both got Piece A, you catch my drift?”

“We both got A+ Pieces, if you catch my drift,” Wade retorted, wiggling his eyebrows and his waist.

“ _Wade_ ,” Peter half groaned, half laughed.

“Peter, don’t overthink it, over time we’ll try out all different ways we can make love,” Wade retorted and Peter nodded. Wade became tongue tied for a second because holy Taco Tuesday Peter just nodded so this wasn’t going to be a onetime thing. He wanted to make love with Wade _repeatedly_ and they haven’t even done the deed yet.

Peter lay down on top of Wade, cushioning his head on his arms just above Wade’s heart, and he asked, “What I was _trying_ to ask is, who will top?”

“You,” Wade said, cupping his cheek. “I’ve bottomed before. I know what to expect.”

Peter’s flush became bright red and he gasped, “Really? You sure?”

“Yes,” Wade whispered. They shared a quick kiss and Wade whispered, “I…”

_I love you._

Peter lazily blinked open his eyes and stared at him with such happiness that Wade chickened out. He basked in Peter’s gaze for a few seconds and then he murmured, “I trust you.”

Peter’s resulting smile made Wade feel like he won the lottery.

They kissed again, this time a little longer and a little filthier as their tongues twisted together.

Peter’s hands grabbed onto Wade’s shirt and he gasped into his lips, “T-The lube?”

Wade grasped Peter’s jaw and drew him into one more lasting kiss before he broke away. Almost frantically, he opened and dug into his bedside table. Peter lazily kissed along his neck and his fingers trailed under his shirt. It was an amazingly, horrible distraction.

He finally found it and sat up saying, “ _Ta_ _da_!”

Peter's eyes trailed from the lube in his hand and back to his face. The flush was still on Peter's cheeks but a light entered his eyes that wasn't there a moment ago.

“We need to get our clothes off _now,_ ” Peter commanded.

[Oh my Spaghetti God, YES!]

{Shut up! You're ruining the best moment of our lives!}

Wade nodded furiously to Peter and then they both separated as they tore off their individual shirts. Wade was then blessed with the incredible view of Peter's naked torso for the first time. The Spider-man costume was very form fitting so it had never left much room for the imagination but he'd never actually seen and Peter’s body was even better than he had imagined.

“C’mere you,” Wade hissed and pulled Peter into his arms. He pressed his face into Peter's chest with a big grin, loving him and that moment. Peter's heart beat frantically just underneath Wade’s cheek and Peter wrapped his arms around Wade's head with a surprised laugh.

Feeling like a naughty child dipping into the cookie jar, Wade caught Peter's eyes and lightly bit down on his nipple. Peter hissed as his hands tightened on Wade's shoulders, pushing and pulling him in at the same time. Wade grinned and dipped his head, sucking the nipple into his mouth.

“Ahh-gah,” Peter garbled with a sharp gasp hunching into Wade. The sound went straight to Wade’s groin. How many more noises could he draw out of Peter?

“What was that, baby boy?” Wade teased and breathed onto the puckered nipple. A slight salty taste lingered on Wade’s tongue. He wanted to taste more so he tilted his head and tried the other nipple. Peter shuddered from the sensation and wound his arms around Wade’s neck tightly, pulling him closer.

Wade lifted his head, grinning ecstatically at Peter.

“I think I was trying to say, ‘wow’,” Peter replied and stole a quick kiss, his tongue flicking against Wade’s.

“Imagine what I can do to you when you lose your pants,” Wade murmured into his mouth and this time it was Wade who stole a kiss.

“What are we waiting for?” Peter asked with a husky voice. Wade’s entire body shuddered and Peter grinned wickedly at him. Peter proceeded to crawl down Wade’s body, pressing kisses into his skin every time one of his legs scooted back. Wade watched breathlessly as Peter got closer and closer to his bulging crotch. Peter's fingers undid the top button and he kissed the patch of skin beneath.

One of his voices was chanting [YES!] repeatedly in the background but Wade didn't even notice it as Peter slowly lowered his zipper and then pulled down his jeans and panties together.

Peter paused to stare at Wade's erection as it bounced back on to his stomach. His face was unreadable and Wade fearfully wondered if he was having second thoughts. Even his cock had the ugly scars...

Peter crawled over him and then lightly touched his abdomen, just above his cock. His fingers lightly grazed the base of his shaft and Peter commented, “You’ve got no pubic hair.”

“B-Bald as a baby,” Wade replied. “It went when I lost the head hair…Disappointed?”

[You’re not normal. He’s finally seeing the ugly.]

Wade bit down on his lip to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to tell the voices to shut up but, deep down, his worries began to fester.

Peter crawled up the rest of his body and pressed a kiss into Wade’s mouth. Wade was so surprised that he stared blankly at Peter and didn’t return the kiss. Peter pulled away and assured him, “You are perfect, Wade. I wouldn’t change you at all. It just wasn’t what I was expecting…Though, I’m not too surprised, you don’t have eyebrows after all.”

Wade slapped his forehead and gasped, “No! For how long?! Why didn’t you say anything??”

Peter laughed and slipped out of bed. Wade was going to ask him what he was doing when all of a sudden…

[ASS <3!!!!]

Peter pulled off the rest of his clothes and Wade was gifted with the beautiful sight of Peter well sculpted butt.

“Oh, mercy me,” Wade breathed, fanning himself as he fell back into his pillows.

“Shut up,” Peter laughed, lightly shoving Wade as he slipped back into bed with him.

Peter lay beside him and they both smiled shyly at each other. Peter slipped his hand into Wade’s and asked, “The lube?”

Wade gulped and felt around the bed for wherever he dropped the bottle. As he did, Peter positioned himself over Wade and Wade’s arms moved more wildly. Wade hissed as their cocks brushed together and Peter bit back a moan.

“How do we start…?” Peter murmured as soon as Wade latched onto the lube.

“I thought you weren’t a virgin,” Wade breathlessly teased and pressed the lube into Peter’s hold.

“Dude,” Peter countered.

“Just do what comes naturally,” Wade murmured, wrapping his arms around Peter’s neck. “Foreplay should be pretty similar and the fingering will just be in a different hole!”

“A romantic as always,” Peter groaned with smile.

“Just for you, baby boy,” Wade sighed melodramatically.

“My romantic prince,” Peter countered and he lightly kissed Wade’s lips. He took Wade’s words to heart however and his body began to move against Wade’s. Their cocks rubbed together and they both gasped into each other’s mouths.

“Okay, that may be a little different,” Wade noted breathlessly as pleasure surged through his entire body.

Peter hummed and pressed them together again and they both groaned.

“I can come from this alone,” Peter whispered against Wade’s lips.

Wade blinked open his eyes to find Peter’s hazel eyes staring into his. His eyes were half lidded and filled with such emotion that Wade nearly choked. How long had Peter been looking at him like that?

Peter kissed him again, his eyes remaining open in tiny slits as he watched Wade and Wade did the same, mesmerized by the look in his lover’s eyes.

They explored each other’s bodies, mapping out the new territories and looking for what brought the other pleasure. Peter eventually cracked open the lube and his fingers made their way into his entrance, reservedly at first as he was obviously unsure. There isn’t really a social etiquette for putting one’s fingers up another person’s ass so Wade encouraged him along with whispered praises and reassuring moans.

As Peter stretched him, he began stroke Wade’s dick and whisper horribly dirty and arousing things into his ear. He didn't think Peter had been capable of coming up with such filth nonetheless say it to him but Wade enjoyed it all the same.

All Wade could do to keep it together was to breathe shallowly and hold onto Peter. He wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer and he didn’t want to come before Peter was inside him so he gasped, “I’m ready.”

Peter froze and then he murmured, “You sure?”

Wade nodded and Peter’s face became quite serious. Wade would have teased him if he weren’t teetering on the edge of orgasm.

Peter maneuvered his body so that he was kneeling on his knees in front of him. Wade’s legs were already spread open for Peter but now he folded his legs around Peter’s waist. Peter slicked himself up more and then held himself with one hand as he positioned himself. Wade willed his muscles to relax. He knew it was going to hurt. It’d been years since he was with another man. The initial stabbing sensation made all of his muscles contract but this was nothing compared to having his arm severed or being tortured with a hot poker. It was a mild discomfort compared to what he was used to.

Peter slowly pushed himself in, moving gradually and with care. He didn’t want to hurt Wade even though he knew about Wade’s healing ability. Wade felt…touched. He reached up and cupped Peter’s face. Panting shallowly, Peter’s eyes flickered to him and fastened onto his gaze. That emotion was there in his gaze again. Wade dared not to name it out of the fear of being wrong but…but the way Peter gazed at him reminded him of the way he’d look at Peter and…he _loved_ Peter.

Peter fully inserted himself with one last thrust and both of them groaned from the sudden sheathing. Wade felt wondrously full.

Peter held onto him firmly and gasped, “Y-You’re so tight.”

Wade could feel him shaking. He ran his hands over Peter’s flesh and whispered, “You’re close, aren’t you?”

Peter nodded furiously and Wade grinned. He slid his hand over the back of Peter’s head and pulled him down, whispering, “Let’s come together.”

He grabbed one of Peter’s hands and had him grasp his dick, together they stroked Wade’s dick and he began to move his hips. Peter hissed in surprise but he caught his breath and began to move with him.

They moved fast, almost frantically, trying to collect as much pleasure as possible before they came. Peter was hunched over him, his mouth centimeters from his, and their breath mingling in a hot cloud between them.

“W-Wade,” Peter gasped in warning.

“Yes,” was all Wade was able to encourage. He was so close too. He began to pump himself faster and Peter’s stroke picked up momentum too until…

Peter fell into Wade with a shuddering gasp. Wade’s insides felt like they were expanding and knowing that Peter had ejaculated inside him sent him over the edge. He came seconds after he did, with a moan that sounded similar to Peter’s name.

They lay in a gooey pile both gasping and spent. Peter eventually pushed himself up by his elbows and smiled down at Wade. He didn’t think it was possible but Peter’s wild hair was even more of a mess after sex. Wade chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

Peter kissed him and then whispered, “That was amazing.”

“You were amazing,” Wade retorted.

“I want to try it the other way next,” Peter countered, his eyebrows dancing with mirth. Wade’s vision spiraled for a second as his endorphins surged even more with Peter’s suggestion.

Wade laughed and grabbed Peter to roll him over onto his mattress. Peter gaily laughed and landed with a huge smile that threatened to split his face. His eyes sparkled with that emotion Wade wasn’t ready to label and he smiled back, pouring all of his love and devotion into it.

“We’ll do it again and again and again, in whatever way you want,” Wade promised. “You have me, baby boy.”

Peter hummed in agreement, drawing Wade’s mouth closer to his with a simple touch of his fingers. He whispered against his lips, “For the rest of our lives…”

Wade’s eyes instantly heated and he blinked back tears.

Peter wanted to be with Wade forever.

Peter wanted him.

Peter…Peter may already love him.

Wade leaned into the kiss Peter was initiating and he swore to himself that he’d love Peter with his entire soul.

Nothing would come between them.

\---

Venom was boiling in its filthy container and, with its expanding consciousness, it began to understand the meaning of ire.

And it was directing it at the incompatible creature trying to mate with its host.


	11. Monday, August 15th

When Peter woke, he found Wade’s limbs were wrapped around Peter like an octopus and his face was buried in Peter’s hair. He was still asleep and breathing evenly, his exhales moving Peter’s hair with every breath. Peter shifted closer to Wade and the older man sighed contently. Peter smiled and pressed his face into Wade’s neck. He inhaled deeply and decided he liked the way Wade smelt. His natural smell was now stronger having sweat and slept in it. Peter slowly traced his nose along Wade’s neck, enjoying his boyfriend’s natural musk.

His nose suddenly tingled as it picked up another scent: cigar smoke. It was probably from one of Wade’s neighbors. Peter tucked his face deeper into the crook of Wade’s neck so he would only smell Wade.

The movement woke Wade and he sleepily hummed and readjusted his limbs around Peter into a more comfortable position. He murmured, “Good morning, baby boy.”

“Great morning,” Peter countered and kissed Wade’s neck.

Wade chuckled and replied, “Good, great, and _amazing_ morning.”

He felt Wade kiss the top of his head and they snuggled closer together.

Peter planned to spend the rest of the morning lazing around in bed with his boyfriend yet the cigar smell grew in strength as the time ticked by. He was going to have to close the window or Wade’s room would stink of it soon.

Peter was loathe to leave Wade’s arms just yet but he pushed himself up.

“Noooo,” Wade faintly grumbled, his limbs snaking tighter around him.

“I gotta close the window,” Peter yawned, rubbing his eyes.

Wade didn’t let go of him and grumbled, “You don’t need to. I didn’t leave the window open in the first place.”

“But ya left your front door open, bub.”

After years of honed fighting, both Wade and Peter were fully awake in an instant and separated from each other like they had been training together for years. Wade grabbed a gun from under his pillow and Peter freed his fists from the blankets and faced the intruder.

Logan was sitting on top of Wade’s dresser, smoking one of his trademark cigars. He held up his hand to block his view of them and grumbled, “I’ve already seen too much. Hell, I've smelt too much, so _please,_ cover up your junk at least.”

“How long have you been here?” Peter grumbled, flushing to himself as he sank back into the mattress and drew a blanket over his waist.

“Not long,” Logan murmured, dropping his hand and slipping the cigar into his mouth.

Wade twirled his gun in his fingers and then tossed it down on the pillow. He then flopped onto Peter’s back, using Peter’s body as his form of modesty. Peter glanced back at him and Wade grinned happily at him. He leaned back into Wade, using him for support like a chairback.

“So, when did you two start fucking?” Logan asked bluntly.

“Yesterday, at exactly four th –,” Wade began but Peter elbowed him with a shush.

“Spider-Man and Deadpool together, SHIELD is going to flip,” Logan observed with a grin, biting the cigar between his teeth.

“You should have seen my dad’s reaction,” Peter sarcastically retorted and Logan snorted. Peter asked, “Not that I don’t mind seeing you…but what are you doing here, Logan?”

Wolverine took another drag from his cigar and then replied with a breath of smoke, “I was bored and felt like fighting something. The Professor does not approve of me getting too vicious with the students, especially on a school day, but Wade’s usually good to go,” Logan said, nodding to Wade.

“I’m preoccupied,” Wade retorted, rubbing his face against the side of Peter’s. Peter smirked and leaned deeper into Wade's hold.

“We both are,” Peter stated.

Logan took another drag from his cigar and retorted, “Yeah, I noticed that.”

“And you’re here still because…” Peter grumbled.

“I wanted to know, what –,” Logan nodded to the trashcan sitting on Wade’s desk, “–is that?”

“ _The_ _Thing_ ,” Wade replied ominously, wiggling his fingers against Peter’s skin and then he made eerie, “OooooOOOoooing” noises like a ghost. 

Peter elbowed Wade in the gut and Wade fell back with a mock groan, clutching his stomach. Peter replied, “It’s my new suit. I made it, it’s a biological…well, it’s like a living suit. Wade, for some reason, thinks it looks like an eighties movie monster.”

“It’s like the emo version of _The_ _Thing_ ,” Wade stated, rolling on to his side.

“…It smells –,” Logan exhaled another puff, staring at the bin with a hard stare. “–unusual…”

“Ohhh, what do you smell?” Wade playfully inquired, rolling on the bed to wound bedsheets around him.

“Famine…” Logan stated, his voice barely a whisper.

Peter snorted at the absurd definition but Wade sat up in his cocoon of blankets and gasped in wonder, “What does _that_ smell like?”

“How does one explain color to the blind?” Logan retorted, his eyes slid back to the trashcan and he stared at it with a hard gaze. “Look...My sense of smell is so strong that I can even smell the chemicals in your bodies and know how you’re feeling. For example, both of you have high levels of dopamine and serotonin right now, both indicators of love.”

Wade squawked and fell over when he couldn’t free his limbs to catch himself.

Peter flushed. He and Wade were now lovers but did that truly amount to love? He’d known the man for years but had only just started dating him. He couldn’t already be in love, it didn’t happen that fast…right?

Logan took another drag from the cigar and continued, “Disasters…like humans, also have similar smells. I have smelt famine many times and it away has the same acidic scent. I’ve never encountered anything like your new suit before, but, it smells like famine.”

“It is made with alien components,” Peter retorted. “They must be skewing the scent… Now, Logan, not that I don’t appreciate your lovely demeanor this early in the morning nor your interest in my suit, but I was very comfortable in Wade’s arms a moment ago and would very much like to return to that position…”

Logan’s eyes snapped away from the trashcan and he murmured, “Sorry to disturb you.” The massive man slid off Wade’s dresser and went to leave, but paused next to the bin. He sniffed the air above it with a hard look and then he looked back to Wade and Peter one last time before leaving.

Peter sighed to himself and then turned to his boyfriend. Wade was still in his cocoon. Practically all of the blankets on the bed were wrapped around him. Peter asked with a smile, “How am I supposed to cuddle with you with all of that in the way?”

“Determination and fortitude,” Wade replied in a serious voice. Peter laughed and began to pull away some blankets.

Wade sat up and helped him out. He asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Great,” Peter replied honestly. “Last night was amazing.”

“Same for me,” Wade replied with a happy grin.

They cleared away the last of the blankets and Peter pulled Wade into his embrace. They fell onto the bed together, hooking their legs and shifting their arms underneath their bodies so they wouldn’t fall asleep immediately. Peter inhaled deeply, drinking in Wade’s scent again, and then letting it go with a content sigh.

They both heard the front door close and several minutes after that Peter felt himself slip into complete ease with Wade. Neither of them were going back to sleep any time soon and he felt Wade fingers begin to caress circles into his skin. Their naked bodies were pressed against each other as well so it didn’t take Peter’s dick all that long to start to harden. He wordless began to rub his hips into Wade’s and he felt Wade’s lower regions react nearly instantly.

“Oh, you naughty boy,” Wade murmured huskily, dipping his head to kiss the side of Peter’s face.

Peter cupped Wade’s face and reminded him, “Just your baby boy, my prince.”

Wade smiled widely, stirring a pleasant warmth within Peter’s chest. He brought their faces together and they kissed with so much feeling Peter felt dizzy from its intensity.

\---

They made love again and this time Wade topped. He moved slow and murmured endearments to Peter as the younger man figuratively unraveled beneath him with each shallow thrust.

He knew the first time would be painful for Peter but he had prepped him and found his G-spot from there he gave Peter so much pleasure that he couldn’t possibly feel anything else.

When Peter finally came, he was flushed bright red, dripping with sweat, and gasping for breath. Wade held him closely, breathing with him and listening to his frantic heartbeat.

Wade kissed Peter over his heart, wordlessly thanking it for giving this man life and making all of this so very real.

[No more lonely fantasies for us!]

“Not bad,” Peter breathlessly teased, snaking his arms around Wade.

“Not bad?!” Wade squawked. “It was _magnificent_!”

“Well, I can honestly say that this was the best sex I’ve ever had being bottom,” Peter dryly retorted with a sly smile.

Wade pressed his forehead to Peter’s and glared at his boyfriend as he grumbled, “That was the only time you’d bottomed…”

Peter laughed and kissed Wade’s pout with a smile stretching his lips. He then slid out of Wade’s embrace and the bed. He playfully murmured, “I am filthy, join me in the shower?”

Wade never jumped out of his bed faster and ended up dragging Peter to the bathroom to get into the shower faster. Peter laughed all the way and didn’t stop until they were both in the tiny stall with their bodies pressed together and Wade was kissing him. The water was hot and steaming around them but, somehow, Peter’s tongue felt even hotter in his mouth.

“My mind is spinning,” Peter gasped into his mouth when they broke for breath.

“So is mine, baby boy. You make my mind twist about every time you enter the room,” Wade murmured, rubbing his face against Peter’s.

“I…” Peter paused and he looked at Wade’s shoulder. His gaze became far off as he sank internally into his own thoughts. He tightened his fingers on Wade’s biceps and he whispered, “I haven’t felt this way in years…”

“Horny beyond measure?” Wade teased.

“More than that,” Peter replied. His gaze rose and that glow Wade had seen last night was there again. Peter cupped his face and whispered, “I’ve never been happier than I am right now, with _you_.”

[Holy ever-lovin’ Goddamn fuckity fuck fuck.]

{Yeah, he totally loves you too…}

It took all of Wade’s power to keep from bursting into happy tears right there but his smile did wobble slightly. With the water from the shower soaking them both, Wade couldn’t be too sure that one or two drops of tears escaped but Peter wouldn’t notice. He cupped Peter’s face and whispered, “I feel the same.”

Wade pressed Peter into the tiled wall and kissed him with renewed fervor, physically showing Peter how much he loved him.

\---

“I love you,” Steve murmured warmly into Tony’s ear.

Tony grumbled nonsense in reply. Steve had been in a good mood all night and now it looked like it leaked into morning.

Steve smiled and draped his arms across Tony’s shoulders and leaned into his back. Pressing his face just behind Tony’s ear, he continued, “I am so proud of you.”

“Mmmm,” Tony hummed, not wanting to acknowledge why Steve would feel that…

Steve chuckled and nuzzled his face into Tony’s hair.

“Staaaap,” Tony groaned.

“You’re being such a good boy,” he started to tease.

“Now, I hate you,” Tony stated, pulling away from his husband. Steve laughed and he pulled Tony back into his embrace. Tony let him without a fight, smiling to himself in spite of Steve being such a puppy dog and treating Tony like he was one too.

But, the fact of the matter that was weighing down on Tony’s mind was that Peter had spent the night at Wade’s and Tony was trying _really_ hard not to think about what he was doing there or how far this now progressed their relationship.

“What can I make you for breakfast, Honey?” Steve asked, pressing a kiss onto the side of his neck.

“Pancakes,” Tony mumbled indignantly.

“Coming right up!” Steve replied and went into the kitchen with an extra skip to his step.

Tony was already sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee. He glared at his husband as he happily got to work and then picked up his tablet to continue his work and ignore the fact that Peter was at Wade’s place because he had spent the night…with Wade…all night…with Wade.

“Ugh,” Tony groaned to himself.

He needed to stop thinking about this now so he got off his ass and went to see how he could help Steve in the kitchen. When Tony offered his help, Steve smiled knowingly at him but directed him to mix the ingredients either way. Tony dutifully got to work and leaned into Steve’s side as his husband began to talk about his mother's recipe.

Steve and Tony shared breakfast and they spoke of other things that got Tony out of his foul mood. Spending time with Steve just did that for him. The man was naturally soothing to Tony. His smile alone usually lifted Tony's spirits.

After breakfast on Monday mornings, they'd usually split to deal with their various responsibilities but Steve followed him into the elevator which would take him to the lab. Tony looked at him incredulously and asked, “Are you babysitting me?”

Steve flushed and mumbled something incomprehensible in reply.

The doors opened and Tony stated, “I don't need a babysitter. You took away that bottle of vodka. That was all I had. I swear.”

“I'm not following you because of that!” Steve gasped in shock. Tony tweaked an eyebrow and together he and Steve slowly exited the elevator and entered his lab.

Before Steve could give an explanation, the machines came to life with Tony's presence and DUM-E, quickly followed by Butterfingers, raced over to them, chirping in excitement.

“I don't need you guys right now,” Tony groaned to his bots. He still smiled at them as he waved them away, saying, “Shoo, shoo!”

Tony sat down the workbench where he had the upgraded version of his helmet sitting, waiting for him connect it to the CPU. He put his hands on the helmet but glanced up at his husband who was standing before him, looking like he wanted to say something.

“You know, the other night, when I slept at Bucky's…it was just horrible,” Steve stated.

Tony dropped his gaze with an unhappy frown and, in his mind’s eye, he saw Steve walking away from him and his cabinet with its bottle of vodka sealed away. He whispered, “It was bad for me too…”

Last night both of them wordlessly held each other tighter when falling asleep. Saturday night had been…horrible and not just because of what had happened between Peter and Tony. It had also been the first time in the five years in their relationship that they slept in separate rooms.

“That…That's why I'm here now. The thought of being away from you again…I…I don't want to be separated from you again so soon after…if I’m able, I'd rather be here.”

Tony’s gaze was pointed down and a small happy, flush stained his cheeks. He murmured, “I'd like that…”

Steve rounded the table and cupped his jaw, making Tony look up at him. Steve’s thumb lightly brushed against his cheek and he whispered, “I love you, Tony.”

“I love you too…”

Steve bent down and lightly kissed him. When he pulled away, Tony’s eyes flickered back open and he smiled warmly at his husband. Tony asked, “So, what are you going to do?”

“Laze around and watch you work,” Steve teased. “It seems like the perfect vacation.”

Tony snorted, “I imagined a much more exotic honeymoon.”

“We’ll get there eventually,” Steve stated with confidence.

It seemed like such a faraway motion. What with his family being split and so recently glued back together, not to mention the media, still printing stories about him and Steve and Peter…their lives felt like a scattered mess that’d take forever to clean up…

He missed the simpler days…

Tony gaze fell back to the blank face of Iron Man, remembering when his biggest concern had been asking Steve to marry him.

“Hey,” Steve murmured. “Stop overthinking. You know that I like to kiss that little furrow between your brows when you start overthinking and you know where that usually leads…”

Tony smirked at the innuendo and purposely tried to pinch his brows tighter.

Steve smothered his chuckles and Friday announced, “Peter has returned to the Tower and wishes to know your location.”

“Finally,” Tony sighed, “Bring him up.”

Steve began to pull away from him but Tony caught his hand and lightly kissed his fingers.

“Hey, now, I know your brow is sexy but we are not starting anything with our son minutes from getting here,” Steve teased. “We’ve scarred him enough by this point…”

“I know,” Tony replied. “I just wanted one more kiss.” Because he was so thankful for Steve. He managed to drag Tony out of his grumpy mood. He knew how Tony ticked and how to make him happy again. He’d been doing it ever since they met and would continue to do it for the rest of their lives.

Tony was so thankful to be blessed with the miracle that was Steve Rogers.

Steve squeezed his hand with a small smile before pulling away and seating himself on the opposite side of the workbench.

Peter appeared thirty seconds later with a flustered smile and quickly dashed into the lab. As he came over to them, he said, “I’m late for my meeting with Eddie so I just wanted to quickly stop in and say hi!” He embraced Tony first and then did the same to Steve. He said, “I’ll see you guys later! Wanna do lunch?”

Holding back his laughter, Tony replied, “Sure.”

“Okay, bye!” Peter gasped, sprinting back out of the lab.

And like that, the whirlwind that was his son was gone.

Tony turned to Steve with a smirk and saw his husband was already looking at him with a twitching smile.

Tony pinched his brows together and huskily asked, “Where were we?”

Steve threw back his head and let go the laughter he’d been holding in. Tony kept his brows pinched but was smiling, which turned out to be a very complicated matter. Steve saw his struggle and rounded the table to kiss his brow like he promised.

\---

Peter ran to the lab with his phone buzzing.

He was so, so very late. He didn’t even have to look at his phone to know who was calling. He knew it was Eddie wondering where he was.

But Wade was flirty and naked, so very naked, and Peter couldn’t resist making love with him one more time. And one more time after that…and well…Peter was only human and _Wade was naked_!!

He burst into the lab, gasping, “I know I'm late! I'm so sorry! I've had a crazy weekend!”

Eddie turned to him and slowly lowered the phone from his ear. His face was nearly white and Peter was instantly concerned. He asked, “What's wrong?”

“V-Venom,” Eddie gasped. “Venom’s gone! Somebody took it!”

Peter sighed in relief and explained, “No, I have it. It's safe.”

He willed Venom to wave at Eddie and a few tendrils rose from his shoulder and waved at the other intern.

Venom sat on him, disguised as a black sweater. Peter had used it to cross the city in his Spidey uniform and it worked marvelously…which probably added onto his lateness because he paused a few times to pose with some tourists.

Eddie exhaled deeply, like he had been holding his breath, and leaned heavily onto the counter beside him. He gasped, “Thank God!”

Peter walked into the lab, smiling widely, and stated, “It works like a charm!”

Eddie also smiled and he said, “Well…Since Subject A’s tested it out, I think it’s Subject B’s turn.”

Peter jolted to a stop and his entire being seemed to roar to life in protest. The hair stood on end on his skin and his blood froze.

 _Venom was his_.

He didn’t want to give it to Eddie. He shouldn’t have to hand it over to Eddie. He could keep it. He could refuse Eddie. Even better, _he could get rid of Eddie_. He could get his father to go as far to kick Eddie out of the program. The lab and Venom could be his alone.

“Pete?”

Peter snapped his head up and Peter flushed in mortification. Dear Lord, what was he thinking??

Eddie looked at him curiously and with open trust. He had no idea of the horrifying thoughts that just passed through Peter’s mind.

“Y-Yeah, yeah…” Peter stuttered in reply. Before he could second guess himself, Peter held out his hand and willed Venom to Eddie. The dark mass slowly slipped from Peter’s body and crossed the few feet between him and Eddie in one large tentacle. Eddie eagerly reached out and accepted Venom with an excited smile.

Peter felt colder without Venom. Before the last of the mass left him, Peter’s hand closed on reflex and he willed some of Venom to stay with him. That little bit wrapped itself around his wrist and warped into a dark-faced watch.

Eddie was distracted by Venom as he imagined several tops for himself. Peter covered the watch with the sleeve of his shirt, feeling…strange. He trusted Eddie so his abnormal thoughts of pushing Eddie away weren’t…right. But, this was Venom. Venom was going to protect Peter’s identity. He _needed_ Venom. Peter clutched his wrist.

He had a piece of Venom with him. It should be enough for a mask at least.

Eddie said something about testing Venom outside and Peter nodded and his friend left. Peter sat down at one of the stools and held his wrist, petting the piece of Venom he had and feeling comfort from its presence.

\---

Logan lit a second cigar.

It wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet and he lit a second damn cigar.

The smell that came off that “suit” still lingered in his nose and he needed to get it out.

Peter and Wade were too wrapped up in each other to notice Logan’s suspicions. He was happy for them, he really was…Those two had been wallowing in their loneliness long enough.

But…that scent…

Peter had said he’d used alien materials to make that suit. Could that explain it?

But was his nose right? Could this “alien” material lead to the “famine” he smelt coming off it?

Logan exhaled a large cloud of smoke and tapped his leg a few times before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

He scrolled through his contacts and then pressed the call button.

He brought the phone to his ear and the cigar to his lips.

When it connected, Logan stated, “Hey, we may have a problem…”


	12. Tuesday, August 16th

Peter was sleeping when he was suddenly violently awoken by his father’s voice, yelling, “PETER!”

Peter jumped up, ready for an attack, and gasped, “Wha-?!”

His blurry gaze focused on his father’s figure in his doorway. Tony was standing there in his pajamas looking flushed. Steve strolled up behind Tony and sheepishly murmured, “Sorry, Pete…”

Peter's eyes spanned from his parents and then to the digital clock at his bedside reading 6:05 am. Both of them were still standing in his doorway therefore whatever the problem was, it was clearly not urgent so Peter fell back into his soft mattress. He sighed, “Wha’s up?”

“It is August 16th,” Tony stated, striding up to his bedside and peering down at Peter

Peter held up two thumbs up, without lifting his head, and stated, “Congratulations, you can read the calendar. Can I go back to sleep now?”

“Pete, your birthday is _this_ Saturday!” Tony gasped with horror. “The 20 th is less than a week away!!”

“Yup,” Peter murmured, already knowing this fact.

“We have nothing planned!”

Peter sat up on his elbows and murmured, “I don’t really do much for my birthday, you know that…”

“But it’s different now…” Tony reasoned stubbornly. “Now _I_ can throw you a birthday party.”

Peter’s head snapped over to Steve, who stood behind Tony, and he gasped, “Please, don’t tell me he’s serious.”

Rubbing the back of his head, Steve sighed, “Well…You know how your dad likes to throw parties…”

Peter fell back into his bed with a loud groan. It was _too_ early for this.

“That settles it. We’re throwing you a party here, one your friends _and_ _family_ can enjoy!”

Peter paused in the retort he was about to make.

That was right…This would be the first time his life as ‘ordinary’ Peter Parker and ‘Tony’s son’ Peter Parker would converge. The last couple of birthdays he had, he had hung out with his friends and then hung out with the Avengers separately…but, now he can do it all at once.

He’d slowly been growing used to the idea that everyone knew Tony Stark was his father but the thought of his two lives converging was still surreal to him.

“What do _you_ want to do, Peter?” Steve asked, taking his silence for apprehension.

“I…um,” he murmured, thinking. He decided with a smirk, “Well, I want something small, nothing like Steve’s last birthday…”

“Yeah, that got a little out of hand,” Steve replied with a smile.

On Steve’s birthday, Tony had outdone himself and broke the world record in the private purchase of fireworks. The fireworks display lasted late into the night and they used the fireworks so much that the sky never really grew dark. Tony had to pay a lot of fines for breaking countless city ordinances but he claimed it to be worth it.

“But, I’d like everyone to be there: the Avengers, you guys, my friends…” Peter stated, “I want my life to be as whole as it can be on my birthday…minus the fireworks.”

Tony nodded with an ecstatic smile.

Peter cautioned to his father, “You can set this up, but, please, don’t go too crazy…”

Steve clapped Tony on his shoulder and stated, “Don’t worry, Pep and I will help.”

With a sigh of relief, Peter whispered, “Oh, thank God.” He fell back onto the bed and ran his fingers over Venom. It was still wrapped around his wrist in disguise of a watch. He relaxed and felt his exhaustion weigh down on him. He shooed his parents away, saying, “Now that it is decided, let me get another hour or two of sleep.”

\---

Tony and Pepper hovered together over an empty counter debating who to invite. The lab had been mostly cleared out so Tony could concentrate solely on Peter's birthday. The bots had even been given cheap party hats and DUM-E somehow got one of those straw-paper blowouts. The bot had no lungs so it could not properly use the party favor but it still swung it around excitedly.

Steve watched the entire process with amusement and was loving the way Tony and Pep were arguing for Peter’s interests. Steve would throw in his two cents once and a while but Pepper and Tony were a dynamic duo when setting up events and mostly had it down. They got this and Peter was going to love the end result.

But, as they began to discuss part guests, Steve quietly reminded Tony, “Don’t forget to add Wade.”

Tony pursed his lips and grudgingly admitted, “He was one of the first names I wrote.”

Steve smiled widely at his husband and Tony flinched like his joy burned him.

“Who’s Wade?” Pepper asked and both Steve and Tony froze.

Pepper was in charge of protecting Tony, Steve, and now Peter’s public images. In other words, she was supposed to know anything vital that may draw public attention.

Peter dating a _male_ mercenary would definitely draw attention.

And, somehow, all three of them forgot to tell Pep about it…

“Peter started dating…Wade,” Steve began, exchanging nervous glances with his husband.

Pepper’s eyes widened marginally and she gasped, “Peter’s dating?? When did this happen? Who is this Wade? How did he meet him? How long have they been dating? I can tell by the looks you’re giving me it’s been a while…” She sarcastically retorted the last bit and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Uh, not long, I think it started at our wedding,” Steve replied.

“He’s Deadpool,” Tony bluntly explained.

Pepper’s eyes got bigger and then they rolled back and she threw back her head with a sigh, obstructing her face from view. She groaned, “Once again he’s taking after you Tony. He managed to find the most impossible person in the world and then date him.”

“Hey, I’m not impossible,” Steve retorted, mildly offended.

Pepper’s head snapped back and she shot back, “Says the super soldier born in 1917 who doesn’t look a day over forty.”

“Hey, now,” Tony angrily interrupted and then turned to Steve with a serious expression. “Babe,” Tony said and then grasped his arm and flirted, “You don’t look a day over thirty.”

Steve rolled his eyes and sarcastically murmured, “ _Thanks_ , _Honey_.”

Tony blew him a kiss and Steve caught it and then pressed his hand to his mouth with a private smile just for Tony.

“Really, guys? You are so in love it’s ridiculous,” Pepper groaned.

Steve chuckled and then Tony reached out to Steve and carded their fingers together. His ring finger curled and lightly rubbed at Steve’s ring. Steve leaned toward Tony with a warm smile, his joy blossomed starting from his heart and spreading throughout his body.

“ _Wow_ , they got worse while we were gone.”

Steve jumped to his feet with a grin, he knew that jerk’s voice anywhere. He turned around to find Bucky and Natasha standing at the lab entrance with their luggage.

“I think they’re cute,” Natasha replied, leaning into Bucky’s side.

“You’re back!” Steve exclaimed. He ran over to them and embraced Bucky and then Natasha. He asked, “Why didn’t you guys tell us you would be back today?”

Bucky and Natasha exchanged glances and Natasha replied, “A friend gave me a call. I need to investigate something in New York…”

Tony got up and asked, “It isn’t serious, is it? Do you need the Avengers?”

Natasha grasped Bucky’s arm and assured them, “We are just investigating right now. If it turns out to dangerous then we’ll enlist the Avengers’ help…We don’t want to worry people. James and I can handle it. Now, what is this about Peter and Wade?”

Tony sighed heavily and Steve shot his husband a reassuring smile.

Steve said to Tony and Pepper, “I’ll explain everything that’s happened while they were gone, how about you two continue where we left off?”

“Yes!” Pepper said, nudging Tony. “Also, thank you for telling me about Wade. We’ll narrow down the people so Peter and Wade won’t have to hide their relationship.”

Steve’s chest warmed as he imagined the freedoms being gifted to Peter. Out of everything, he’ll love that the most.

Steve nodded to Pepper and turned back to the super spies. He murmured, “Let’s go into the other room. Do either of you want something to drink or eat?”

Both shook their heads and Steve led the way into the living room.

“The merc and bugboy are really dating?” Bucky gasped. “How did _that_ happen??”

“At my wedding,” Steve replied with a shrug.

“Yeah, about that you freakin’ punk, I was supposed to be your best man! Thanks for waiting!” Bucky said, punching Steve in the arm.

“You _are_ my best man,” Steve countered. “Our wedding was…kinda spur of the moment? We didn’t want to wait…” Steve cradled his left hand and gazed down at the simple, wedding band with a small smile. “I…We both were ready and knew we couldn’t wait another moment.”

Natasha fell back into the couch and announced, “You two got it _so_ bad.”

Steve chuckled, somewhat embarrassed, and agreed, “Yeah.”

Natasha crossed her legs and said, “So you were going to tell us everything that happened while we were gone?”

Bucky sat down next to her, his expression suddenly serious and Steve slowly sat down, strangely feeling like a perp in an interrogation room…

He kept it casual and lightly began to tell them about the days since they had gone.

Their demeanors did not really change until Steve mentioned Peter’s creation.

“What does it do exactly?” Bucky murmured.

“I don’t know much about the science about it,” Steve said with a laugh. “But it protects Peter and it’s made from his DNA and some other chemical things.”

“Have you seen him use it?” Natasha asked.

“No, he told us it’s working, but hasn’t given us a demonstration yet…”

“Is he keeping it from you?” Natasha countered.

Steve snorted and replied, “ _No_!” Both of them gave him a pointed look and Steve stated, “Peter would not do that. Since its creation, _a lot_ has happened. We just haven’t had the chance to pop in his lab and check it out.”

“Then think of it this way…Bruce was trying to recreate the super soldier serum, when he had created the Hulk instead.” Bucky stated, “Pete may have been trying to make something good but made _like_ …an anti-shield instead…”

The smile stretching Steve’s lips lessened slightly.

Between the paparazzi and Peter’s relationship change, Steve hadn’t thought more about the bio-shield other than he was proud of Peter for creating it. Did he really miss something?

“Logan called me yesterday,” Natasha stated. “He went to spar with Wade but found Peter there too, with this ‘shield.’ Logan said it didn’t smell good.”

“Logan says a lot of things don’t smell right,” Steve countered. “He even says Vision doesn’t smell right and Vision is one of the nicest people I have ever met.”

“Vision doesn’t smell right because he’s a synthetic humanoid,” Natasha stated, “He is a good person but he is not _natural_ , just like that bio-shield Peter created. But, according to Logan, this thing smelt _bad_. Vision may not smell ‘right’ to Logan, but at least he didn’t smell ‘bad’. You have to admit that particular feature is a little disconcerting…”

“Logan’s a good guy but I am not going to repo the shield because Logan doesn’t like the way Pete’s creation _smells_. He was the one who called you two back? You’re here to investigate Peter??”

“Not Peter, his bio-shield,” Natasha assured him.

“…We didn’t say anything in front of Tony because we knew he’d go running to Peter and try to take it from him…but, if our suspicions are confirmed and it’s like the Hulk, this thing probably won’t go away easily…” Bucky murmured ominously. “We don’t want Peter to get hurt.”

Steve got to his feet and hissed, “What aren’t you telling me? Is Peter in danger?”

Natasha and Bucky wordlessly exchanged glances. Steve was unable to read into their silent communication and his worry and ire grew. He demanded, “ _Is my son in danger_??”

Bucky quickly raised his hands to calm Steve and stated, “We don’t know. That is why we are going to investigate first. But we _definitely_ are not going to leave this alone. If there’s something iffy about that thing, we’ll take care of it.”

\---

Peter ate a quick breakfast and then went down to the lab. It was his turn to wear Venom out and Eddie wasn't going to show up because Peter had told him he was going to wear it all day.

As soon as he opened the storage fridge, Venom slid out of the beaker and wrapped itself around him. Peter released an audible sigh as he relaxed into Venom’s embrace. He felt so much better with Venom. He knew he was safer with it. He was going to have to find a way to keep it with him always and not just a tiny piece, but the entire mass.

Venom took Peter's chosen form of the black Spider-Man and Peter grinned to himself as he admired how cool he looked.

He was back in the elevator in the next minute and outside, swinging to the next building in another handful.

With Venom he felt stronger and faster and more invincible.

There was no way he was going back to the old red and blue uniform. Venom was the new Spidey now and forever.

\---

Tony and Pepper had planned out who’s going and when all before lunch. Nothing could be approved without Peter’s say-so and, according to Friday, Peter was out as Spidey. He placed an alert to be notified when his son returned and went down to his lab.

Tony’s problem now was what he was going to gift his son. Like Steve, Peter did not like expensive or flashy things, which made them both the hardest people to shop for.

Steve found him down there surrounded by holograms. He was trying to figure out what to get Peter so he had various websites open with things ranging from chemistry to photography.

Tony smirked at him, expecting Steve to tease him but Steve’s expression was not carefree. Instead, it was guarded which made Tony instantly wary.

Tony swiped his hand down, closing all the holograms and he asked his husband, “Is everything alright?”

Steve smiled though it appeared strained and he grasped Tony’s hands. He assured him, “Everything is fine! I was just wondering about Peter’s bio-shield? I don’t know much about it and I was wondering if he told you anything?”

Tony thought on it and replied, “Nope, it’s his baby and I figured I’d give him some time with it before sticking my nose in it…” Tony flushed and added, “I’ve also been distracted by the fact he was dating Wade around the same time he created it.”

Steve smirked and murmured, “You were more than a little distracted…”

“So why so interested in the bio-shield?” Tony asked, escaping _that_ line of conversation.

Steve shrugged and murmured, “It was just something Natasha and Bucky said.”

“Pete would probably love to give you guys a demonstration if you’re that curious,” Tony said, poking Steve’s chest lightly with a smirk. “Now enough about that shield, you need to help me find a birthday gift for Peter!”

Steve rolled his eyes but let Tony drag him over to where he’d been standing moments before and he reopened all of his windows with a wave of his hand. Tony demanded, “Help me!”

Steve rolled his eyes again but slumped into Tony’s side and wrapped his arms around him. His weight on Tony’s back was a comfort and he relaxed into his husband’s arms with a light sigh.

“Do you know how the bio-shield works exactly?”

Tony stepped out of Steve's hold and looked at his husband with a pinched gaze. He asked, “Really, Steve, what is with the sudden interest in the shield?”

Steve shrugged and murmured, “I was just wondering how it works.”

Tony stared at Steve suspiciously and then asked, “Are you getting a gift for Peter involving the shield?”

Looking slightly taken aback, Steve gasped, “No!”

Tony’s mind was racing at full throttle at the possibilities. More to himself, he said, “I could get something like that for Pete…”

“Go for it,” Steve deadpanned.

Tony smirked at his husband and then turned back to his screens, closing the majority of them with a single swipe. As he opened new ones, he stated, “If you really are just curious about the bio-shield, I’d ask Peter about it himself. He created it after all.”

Steve sighed, “Yeah, but he’s out on patrol and Friday said he didn’t leave an ETA for when he’d be back.”

“He’ll be back before dinner,” Tony shrugged it off. Peter hadn’t been getting out in the field recently so Tony was happy he was finally doing what he loved. Tony hooked his arm through Steve’s and murmured, “Since Pete is out having fun and you can’t ask him about his bio-shield, you’re going to help me with finding a gift.”

“ _Okay_ , _Honey_ ,” Steve droned in defeat. He leaned into Tony’s side with a small smile.

“It can be from the both of us,” Tony said, slyly watching his husband from the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t help but grin as he added, “It’ll be the first gift we give as a married couple so we can sign it together…you can even sign it as ‘Pops’.” Tony playfully bumped into Steve’s side as his super soldier blushed happily.

Steve carded his fingers through Tony’s hand and looked at him with this warm, gooey smile that made Tony feel like he was melting under the sunny rays of his gaze. It was full of love and joy and so much excitement. Tony stared at his husband’s face and couldn’t help but remember all the impossible years they’d been together and how much light Steve brought into Tony’s life. Tony hadn’t known the true meaning of joy and content…until that day he met this legendary super solider and was ordered not to flirt with him. Out of all the rules and orders to break, that one changed the entire course of his life and he was so glad he did it. If he hadn’t flirted with Steve, not only would he have not had Steve but, he’d also probably still be drinking and still avoiding the fact that he had a son. Steve was the very precursor to Tony’s life story.

Steve kissed his forehead and must’ve been reading his mind because he murmured, “Babe, have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it some more,” Tony replied.

Steve chuckled and ducked his head so his mouth was over Tony’s as he whispered, “I love you.”

Tony clutched the back of Steve’s neck and replied, “And I you, Beloved.”

Their mouths had been inching toward each other but Tony suddenly brought them together in a searing kiss.

Despite everything: the drama with the media, Peter’s reveal, and his subsequent dating of Wilson…Tony wouldn’t trade this life for anything. Because he was loved by his family and could love them in return.

He was looking for a birthday present for _his son_. Five years ago, he wouldn’t even have dreamed of that possibility.

Grinning widely as joy surged through him and filled with boundless energy, Tony excitedly gasped, “Let’s pick a present!”

Steve laughed again and warmly replied, “Sure.”

With Steve’s arms still wrapped around him and his head resting on Tony’s shoulder, Tony turned back to the screens and excitedly went back to searching.

\---

Peter landed on the alpha balcony with an excited laugh. His entire body was thrumming with energy and he felt so _alive_! Venom did more than protect him, it made him stronger, and took away his fatigue!

The doors opened as he walked up to him and he entered the Avengers’ locker room. When the doors closed, Peter automatically went to pull off his mask. He chuckled to himself for the move as Venom morphed into a plain black shirt and he needed to remove nothing. He’d get the hang of it eventually.

Peter reached into his pocket to check his messages on his phone. He felt it buzz a few times as he was webbing through the city but never got the chance to check it. Most were from Wade, sending him photos from his brunch with Aunt May and then later ones with memes about sex. Peter laughed and did a quick web search to reply with a few of his own. He was looking down at his phone as he did this but kept walking, which was how he nearly missed his teammates as he cut through the connected gym.

“Hey, squirt!” An all too familiar voice said.

Peter halted and his head snapped up. Bucky and Natasha were back.

Peter put away his phone and ran over to them. He excitedly gasped, “Hey guys! When did you two get back?”

“This mornin’,” Bucky replied.

“The mission a success?”

“We got done what needed to be done and then some,” Natasha covertly replied.

“Awesome! You guys missed out a lot though!”

“Yeah, we heard,” Bucky replied gruffly.

Natasha tilted her head to the side and asked, “How are you, Peter? Did you get thinner?”

Peter glanced down at himself and didn’t note a difference. Now that he thought about it, when had he last eaten? The last few hours had been spent as Spidey but he didn’t remember grabbing a bite to eat…with all the excitement over Venom, Peter had been skipping out on meals while he was out swinging…but that couldn’t affect him so drastically and so soon!

Peter rubbed his belly and surmised, “It’s probably because I haven’t been getting as much of Aunt May’s home cooking!”

Natasha hummed, not sounding convinced.

“Peter, Mr. Stark wishes to go over plans for your birthday with you,” Friday informed him.

“Duty calls,” Peter sighed heavily. “I’ll see you guys around!”

Peter dashed to the elevator and waved to the duo one last time before the door closed. Both of them looked so serious but waved back. Whatever they went through on their mission was still sticking with them.

His parents were together when he finally reached the lab. They’d been standing with each other in the middle of a bunch of holograms but Tony shut them all down when he entered.

“Hey, buddy,” Tony greeted him as he entered.

“Hiding something from me?” Peter teased.

“Until your birthday, yes,” Tony countered.

Steve got an odd look on his face and he asked Peter, “How are you doing?”

“Amazing!” Peter replied extatically. “I’ve been testing out Venom and it gets more spectacular the more I use it!”

“Venom?”

“Oh! That’s what Eddie and I have been calling the bio-shield,” Peter explained.

“Sweet name,” his dad stated.

Steve seemed strangely reassured and he murmured, “So the shield has been nothing but a success!”

“Yes, it is the best!” He could gush about it all night.

“Don’t be saying that until you’ve experienced a bon-a-fied Tony Stark birthday bash, kiddo.” Tony opened another hologram and stated, “Pep and I decided your birthday would be best done here at the Tower so we have control of who comes in but we need the final say-so for who those people will be. This is the list.” He pushed the holo screen to Peter and the glowing image floated over to him. Peter stopped it with a single hand and turned the list around to view it correctly. The Avengers and his parents were there of course, as was Aunt May, the interns he worked with, MJ, and the people he used to hang out with on the weekends from school, and…Wade.

Peter’s eyes shot up to his father’s and he looked at him with wide eyes as his shock and hope warred for dominance in his gaze. Had Tony…? Did he put Wade on the list?

“W-Wade’s here,” Peter gasped.

Tony crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled, “He’s your boyfriend.”

Peter smiled widely and then stepped through the holo screen to close the distance between him and Tony as quickly as possible. He embraced his father in a tight hug and whispered into his neck, “Thanks, Dad.”

Tony wound his arms around Peter and murmured back, “It’s no problem, kid.”

Peter knew he was pushing his luck but he asked, “Can Wade come over tonight? He won’t come for dinner! It’s definitely too soon after the last one but…I just…” Peter flushed and murmured, “I’d like him to spend the night.” The muscles in Tony’s jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth so Peter added, “I can pick him up later, _much later_ , and you won’t even have to see him.”

Steve stepped forward and stated, “Then I insist that we share breakfast together in the least.”

Both Tony and Peter froze and Peter asked, “Y-You sure about that?”

“Very,” Steve pressed. “Wade is becoming a big part of your life and I don’t want you to have to split it because we all don’t get along…”

Tony sighed and mumbled, “I usually can’t communicate until my second cup of coffee so yeah, I shouldn’t put my foot in my mouth by the first half…”

Peter grasped his father’s arm and pressed, “Are you sure, Dad?”

Tony grasped his arm too and pointedly said, “Yes, I am sure. I barely know the man and won’t get to know him unless I interact with him.”

Peter hugged his father again. This time Tony was slower in his replying embrace but it was tighter and he pressed his face into Peter’s shoulder.

Venom moved against Peter’s skin with a small shudder when Tony’s face pressed against it. His dad didn’t seem to notice it as he smiled warmly at Peter and clapped his shoulder.

\---

Wade double checked his phone and then looked at the Tower, looming over him like a sinister castle. It seemed to glow brighter than all the others in the dark of the night.

Was he really allowed in?

“Hello, my prince,” Peter’s voice purred into his ear, making Wade jump.

He’d been standing in the alleyway Peter told him to wait for him. It was deserted save for the trashcans and cigarette butts. At this late hour, there were hardly any pedestrians on the street to notice him lurking. Wade whipped his head around to find Peter hanging upside down behind him in his new black Spidey uniform.

Wade placed a hand over his heart and he gasped, “Baby boy, you scared me!”

“Sorry, sweetie,” Peter murmured and leaned forward. His mask parted and he lightly kissed Wade. Wade was in his Deadpool suit so Peter’s kiss was on his mask and it was a handsome mask but Wade wanted to feel those lips.

Wade rolled up his mask and pouted, “Once more.”

Peter chuckled but obliged and leaned down to kiss Wade again. It was different kissing him upside down but it was a _good_ different. Wade leaned into it sucking on Peter’s bottom lip and then moving to his top while their tongues met in the changeover. They both grinned and Peter whispered, “Let’s go before somebody sees us.”

Wade kissed his lover’s chin and then nodded his consent.

Peter moved faster than his eyes could follow. One second he was standing on the ground and the next he was flying through the air. Wade flailed his arms and grabbed onto his boyfriend with a frightened yip. Peter laughed and wound his arm tighter around Wade’s waist. Wade was only too happy to hold onto Peter and press himself against the man’s body. Peter’s strong muscles moved under his hold, propelling them up, to the top of the Tower, and Wade’s naughty mind could only think of what those same muscles were capable in bed.

[Magic] one voice stated. [Sex with baby boy is the absolute epitome of pure magic.]

Wade snorted but he couldn’t help but agree with his wayward thoughts as he was wrapped around Peter’s lithe body.

They landed on one of the smaller balconies and Wade instantly recognized it as the same balcony he had shared the brief disaster of a dinner with Peter’s family. Wade nervously peered inside, wondering where his parents were…specifically Stark…

Peter must have noticed his glance because he stated, “My parents are down in the lab, doing ‘secret’ birthday things.” He went inside and Wade followed. As soon as they were within the safety of the Tower, Peter’s suit melted away and churning tendrils morphed into a dark shirt.

Wade cringed as he watched the _Thing’s_ creepy tendrils move around his boyfriend and he asked, “Birthday? Who’s getting another year older?”

“Oh…” Peter turned to him with a flush and awkwardly grasped his shoulder. The _Thing_ finished turning into a black tee as he stated, “Funny story…It sort of is mine…I forgot to tell you…”

Wade’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull and he gasped, “When’s your birthday?!”

“August 20th…hem, which is – ugh – this Saturday…”

Wade’s eyes popped open more and he was surprised they stayed in his head. Peter’s birthday was less than a week away. His baby boy was going to be older and he didn’t even know it!?

Peter chuckled, grinning shyly, and he murmured, “My parents are throwing a party for me this Saturday and you’re obviously invited. You’ll come, right?”

Wade stepped up to him and whispered, “Of course.”

Peter smiled again. His outright joy made Wade smile and his insides feel like gooey, hot, fresh-baked cookies.

Peter grasped his hand and asked, “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything?”

He'd eaten before he got there to avoid any sort of meals with the parental units. Wade leaned in and murmured, “Nah, I’ve already had dinner.”

“That explains the taco breath,” Peter teased.

“You know you love it,” Wade retorted as he leaned toward him making kissy faces. He expected Peter to playfully push him back but his baby boy leaned in and lightly kissed him.

Peter took off Wade’s mask and tossed it on the nearest table as he whispered into his lips, “I love it.”

Wade’s heart seized in his chest at the mention of “love” passing through Peter’s lips and then Peter flushed bright red as he realized what was said between their exchange. Neither one of them addressed Logan's statement about their "love" yesterday. Wade pressed his forehead to Peter's and searched his eyes, fearfully wondering what was hidden within those hazel depths. 

"Wade..." Peter whispered, his eyes also searching Wade's gaze.

"Don't say anything," Wade whispered. He was afraid of what Peter would say or how'd he react if Wade confessed. 

Peter's arms snaked their way around his neck and held Wade firmly. Their eyes were still locked as Peter whispered, "I love your taco breath."

Wade snorted and Peter was grinning as he continued, "And I love spending time with you." Wade's snorts stopped and he looked at Pete with wide eyes. Peter continued, "I love your jokes. I love your personality. I love your smile. I love your laugh...I know you don't want me to say it but...I love everything about you...I think...I think I may just be falling in love with you..."

Wade shook his head and whispered, "Y-You don't know what you mean...Don't say things like that..."

"I mean it, Wade," Peter whispered, lightly kissing the side of his cheek. "I haven't felt this way in years but you - _you_ make me feel alive again."

[He can't love you. You're just as rotted on the inside as you are on the outside] a voice sneered. 

Wade tried pulling away, apprehension suddenly building within him. 

{No...He loves you, Wade and you him. You never knew the true meaning of happiness until you met our baby boy} the other assured him. {This isn't a bad thing. Even the Merc with a Mouth can find happiness, love, and other poetic crap synonyms that express how perfect you two are for each other.}

[That was was beautiful, you cute curly little bracket.]

{Babe, not in front of Wade~!}

Wade blocked out the voices before they started making out and returned his focus to the man in his arms. He gulped. It was now or never. He couldn't have had a more opportune moment...Wade clasped Peter's hips and nervously stared into his gaze as he whispered, "And I...I well I, yes, I do. I MEAN, I - I - I - Dios mio..." Wade took a steadying breath and stated as fast as he could, _"Iloveyou!"_

Peter's brows pinched together and he asked, "What?"

Holy Taco Tuesday, his heart was about to jump out of his chest from saying it once and now he needed to repeat himself. Blushing furiously, Wade mumbled more slowly, "I - I love you." Peter's confused brows separated and he blinked. Wade quickly added, "Like seriously, I'm head over heels in love. The world is brighter when you are around and I - I just love you so much. It feels like I'm in a dream half the time because this - _us_ \- is just so perfect..." Wade dropped his head onto Peter's shoulder and moaned, "And now you can run for the hills after all of that insanity." 

Peter's arms stayed wrapped around him, in fact, they tightened and Wade looked at Peter in surprise. Peter stated, "That was probably one of the worst confessions I have ever heard..." Wade's stomach dropped. Yup, he fucked this up. He knew he was going to fuck this up. "But..." Wade's eyes snapped over to Peter's as he continued, "Only the first half...the rest was perfect."

"Perfect? Like perfect-perfect?"

"Perfect-perfect," Peter agreed. 

"...Am I dreaming?"

"Wade," Peter said, smirking at him with a happy smile. "I love you too."

[ _Can you feel the love toooo~night_?]

Wade's lips wobbled as he mouth tried to decide if he was going to smile or cry. 

Peter didn't give him a chance to choose as he launched himself at Wade and kissed him deeply. 

He grasped both of Wade’s hands, locking his fingers around Wade’s and teasingly murmured, “Do you want a tour or should we just go straight to my room?”

Playing with Peter’s fingers, Wade grinned wickedly and whispered, “I'd _love_ to see your _lovely_ room, my _love."_

Peter laughed but drew Wade into his arms and they were kissing again. Peter walked backwards, directing Wade in the direction of his bedroom. Wade was so distracted by Peter’s eager mouth and roving hands that he couldn’t keep track where they were going. Next thing he knew, Peter was unbuckling Wade’s belt and kicking the door behind them closed. Peter dropped the belt with a loud and heavy thunk and he observed, “That thing is heavy.”

“Where I keep my ammo and the weight also keeps my hips nice and trim,” Wade teased.

Peter grabbed said hips and murmured, “ _Oh_ , I _love_ them a lot.”

Wade pulled off his kantans without any more prompting needed and Peter pushed him on to his bed.

Wade sat himself on his elbows as Peter willed his shirt off him. The _Thing_ went into a beaker sitting on Peter’s desk. Wade was starting to get used to the _Thing_ but he still didn’t like how similar it was to the 80s-movie monster. As soon as the _Thing_ was off Peter, any unease he felt was gone. Wade had traced and tasted nearly every inch of Peter’s body but he still felt like he was opening his very first Christmas gift.

“Nice digs,” Wade commented not really looking at the room. He was all eyes just for Peter.

Peter grinned, noticing his unwavering stare, and crawled onto the bed. As soon as Peter was close enough, Wade ran his fingers over him, starting at his arms and then going to his back. Peter fell into him, kissing him wildly.

Wade returned with gusto and they helped each other out of their remaining clothing.  

[Yipppeeee!] His voice cheered as they dived right into foreplay once they were both nicely naked.

Wade was kissing Peter where ever he was able and, while Peter was cupping his face like he was precious gold, he saw something odd on Pete’s wrist.  

“What's with the watch?”

It was a digital watch but it had no face. It didn’t tell time and was just a peculiar accessory.

“Hm?” Peter whispered, running his fingers over Wade’s scalp.

Wade nibbled on Peter's skin on the side of his inner thigh and teased, “You're wearing a watch that is broken.”

Peter lifted his arm to look at the dark accessory with surprise and murmured, “Would you look at that…I wonder why this stayed here?”

“Hm?” Wade murmured not really understanding but, at the same time, becoming distracted by the way Peter's thigh muscles flexed under Wade's teeth. Wade followed the tendons down to Peter’s crotch. Peter’s hands on him tightened as Wade’s mouth went lower.

“I – _ah_ – I wanted _ah_ -all of Venom gone, b-but it stay- _ay_ -ed, oh God, don't – _ah_ \- don't stop that!”

But Wade's eyes flickered up and focused on the watch. He whispered, “That's the _Thing_??”

“What part of ‘ _don't_ _stop’_ do you _not_ understand?” Peter groaned in frustration.

Wade lowered his head and swallowed Peter, making the younger man throw back his head with a loud groan. But Wade’s eyes remained focused on the watch and he darkly wondered if what Peter had said was true.

Did Venom ignore an order from Peter?

Wade’s curiosity died with the first thrust of Peter’s hips. Any suspicions that may have developed were obliterated with the strength of their combined lusts.

\---

After making love, Wade and Peter fell asleep in each other’s arms. Wade fell into one of the most deepest and content sleeps he had ever taken but, he still woke when he felt Peter slip from his arms.

“Mmm,” Wade moaned. He reached for his lover, wanting him back in his embrace but Peter was already out of the bed. His boyfriend probably had to piss so Wade took the chance to stretch and readjust himself on the bed.

His eyes flickered open and…his heart stopped – _no_ – no, it was not Peter.

It couldn’t be.

It was simply the beginning of a fragmented dream.

Yes, that explained it.

He closed his eyes and obliterated the nightmare.

The figure that had been standing beside the bed was a dark shadow of a monster born from Wade’s mind with large fangs and white eyes.

He felt no fear because it was only another monster his mind created and Wade knew not to fear those beasts anymore. Furthermore, Wade knew without a doubt Peter would be back in his arms and they’d snuggle until they both fell back into that content sleep. With Peter by his side, his mind erased all the real and fictitious monsters that haunted him.

So, he waited and sleep tugged at his conscious, pulling him deeper into the dark void of oblivion. Time passed differently in the void. What felt like seconds were actually minutes…and a minute turned into an hour. By then, Wade was fully asleep and the bed remained empty, save for himself.  


	13. Wednesday, August 17th

Wade woke from his bad dream with a sharp hiss.  His arms automatically twitched to grab a weapon but, instead, tightened around a body.

He looked down and saw Peter was in his embrace, sleeping with his face tucked into Wade’s shoulder.

Wade stared at his boyfriend’s sleeping form, panting lightly as his accelerated heartbeat began to dwindle. His mind was still racing to catch up from the horrors of his nightmare and it took him a moment to disassociate the present from the impossible reality of his dark dreams. Peter leaving and not coming back was just a part of the dream…as was the monster that had stood by the bed.

This was real. Peter was real.

Wade pressed his face into Peter’s hair and inhaled the man’s soft scent.

Peter mumbled something and shifted his arm on Wade’s waist. Wade smiled down at Peter and ran his fingers through his hair, loving the soft feel and how it bounced back up after every passing. Peter was slowly waking up with Wade. His mouth twitched into a small smile and his eyes moved beneath his lids.

Wade lightly kissed those smiling lips and then traced his fingers along his face. There were dark circles under Peter’s eyes. Wade traced them and retraced them and then observed, “Did you not sleep well, baby boy?”

“What do expect when you wake me up so early after keeping me up all night?” Peter sleepily murmured.

Wade’s internal clock was pretty good but he double checked the digital clock at Peter’s bedside and confirmed, “It is almost noon…”

Peter’s eyes shot open and he gasped, “ _What_?!”

Peter twisted in his hold and also looked at the clock. He stared at it for a moment and then whispered, “Wow…I’m exhausted…”

Wade slumped over Peter’s back and playfully suggested, “Maybe we went a little crazy last night…”

Peter fell back into the bed, groaning, “It feels like I was up all night! Even my muscles are sore!”

“I’ll go easier on you next time,” Wade promised, kissing Peter’s neck lightly.

Peter grumbled something unintelligible and rubbed his eyes as he fell back into Wade.

He looked like he was falling back asleep so Wade nudged him and murmured, “Don't go back to sleep, baby boy. Weren't we supposed to meet your parents for breakfast.”

Peter's eyes snapped open and he inhaled sharply, like a man gasping for air, and he sat up again.

He gasped, “Breakfast?!”

Peter looked at the clock and groaned, “It's almost lunchtime!”

“Sir, I informed your parents of the situation and they informed me to tell you that they’d be happy to share lunch with you instead,” Friday stated.

Peter sleepily rubbed at his eyes and murmured, “Okay, this is okay.” He looked to Wade and confirmed, “Is it okay?”

“We’re _more_ than okay,” Wade replied and tucked a loose hair behind Peter's ear. Peter leaned into his touch with a soft smile that melted Wade's heart. He was so tempted to say _fuck it_ and for them to stay in bed the rest of the day, letting Peter get the sleep he craved. Wade was happy to just lay there and watch Peter slumber.

Peter leaned toward him and lightly kissed Wade, breaking him out of his line of thinking. Peter murmured, “I’m going to take a shower and drink half a pot of coffee.”

Wade’s spine tingled as he remembered the last time Peter had taken a shower and Wade had joined him. As Peter slipped out of the bed, Wade shadowed him and playfully said, “I’ll join you!”

Peter chuckled and turned to grab Wade’s hands. He whispered, “Please do.”

They walked over to Peter's attached bath and then lazily undressed each other of the few parcels of clothing they slipped on before going to sleep. Wade was content to move at the slow pace Peter was going. He may have even taken a little pride from it. After all, he did tire out the Amazing Spider-Man with his lovemaking skills.

Peter's shower put his to shame. It instantly went to Peter’s preferred temperature and was steaming in seconds. Wade counted at least four shower-heads before his gaze was drawn back to Peter as he pulled Wade inside.

Under the hot spray, Peter held him with heavy arms and leaned into him. Warm water fell on him from all over. Wade had to blink the water out of his eyes every few seconds, making it tempting to close his eyes like Peter was doing but didn't want to take his eyes off him. 

With a deep sigh, Peter whispered, “This feels amazing.”

Wade kneaded Peter’s slickened muscles in a gentle massage and Peter seemed to melt into his arms with a moan. Wade chuckled and moved around Peter to better dig his fingers deeper into Peter’s shoulders. Peter’s head fell forward as Wade worked his magic and Peter murmured, “I never knew you could do this…”

“Feel you up?” Wade teased, running his hands down Peter’s back and then squeezing his ass. Peter squawked in surprise and Wade let him go with a laugh.

Peter’s shoulder shook as he too chuckled and replied, “ _I knew you could do that_! But I didn’t know you could turn my muscles into _jello_.”

Wade kissed the back of Peter’s neck as he returned his hands to massaging Peter's shoulders and murmured, “Then call me the Jello Master.”

Peter raised his arms over his head and wound them behind Wade’s neck, pressing their bodies closely together. He pulled Wade’s head forward and huskily whispered into his ear, “Jello Prince more like it.”

Wade grinned as his heart was instantly overfilled and flooded his entire body with sappy, hopeless love. Wade turned his head and cupped Peter’s cheek as he kissed him. Water ran down their faces and along their closed eyelids and into their open mouths. Peter turned around in his arms and pressed his chest into Wade’s as they tightened their arms around each other.

When their lips separated, Wade licked his lips, sampling the pure shower water and Peter’s tastier saliva.

“I love you,” Peter whispered into his mouth and his breath ghosted over Wade's tongue.

Wade carded his fingers into Peter’s hair and he held onto him like he was the tether that held him down to the Earth. He was never going to grow used to those words leaving Peter’s mouth nor the idea that it was true. Wade, the miserable human being that he was…was loved, and by Peter no less.

This amazing man, New York’s beloved superhero, _loved_ Wade.

And Wade loved him back.

He ran his thumbs over Peter’s cheeks, brushing away the water for only a second before it started streaming down again.

Around them, the white steam from the hot water hid them from the outside world. It was just Wade and Peter there.

“I love you too, Peter,” Wade whispered and his leaned in and kissed Peter again. This time he did it more slowly, cherishing every touch of their mouths, fingertips, and bodies. Peter was more precious than his own life and he tried to express this with his kiss.

\---

“You're fidgeting,” Natasha stated to Tony and she plucked a chip out of the bowl in front of her and ate it with a crunch. Steve had put out some snacks for their company and, so far, Natasha was the only one to partake. Steve and Bucky were together in the kitchen trading 40s slang and rhetoric that went over Tony’s head as they whipped up some sandwiches for lunch. Natasha and Tony watched it all from the other side of the counter.

Tony leveled a glare at his fellow Avenger and purposely stopped moving his leg to announce, “No, I'm not.”

She smiled at him knowingly and Tony stuck his tongue out at her.

He twitched when he was nervous and he was nervous about seeing his son with Wade. The last time had been a disaster and he didn’t want to fuck it up again.

“I still can’t believe you guys let him spend the night,” Bucky stated, knowing exactly what was on Tony’s mind. “And in Peter’s bedroom.”

“Peter’s an adult, Buck,” Steve monotoned, leveling a glare at his best friend.

“The kid’s a squirt in my mind and will remain a squirt until the day I die,” Bucky countered. Tony nodded, agreeing with the Winter Soldier for once.

“Well that ‘squirt’ is in a relationship with Wade and they are very happy together and we are not going to interrogate either of them today…right?” Steve paused in slicing the slab of turkey he’d bought at the deli and looked between Natasha and Bucky, making himself clear in who exactly he was talking to.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bucky sighed and went back to the duty of slicing tomatoes.

Steve’s eyes snapped over to Natasha and she shrugged, “I won’t _interrogate_ them.”

Tony smirked as Steve sighed heavily. It was the best he was going to get from her. Bucky and Natasha traded quick, knowing smirks when Steve wasn't looking.

They soon went back to small talk with Steve and Bucky quickly adopting their old Brooklyn accents and 40s slang like they always did when they were in each other’s presence.

Listening to Steve’s accent was a turn on for Tony and, if the other two weren’t there, he’d have jumped on Steve by now. As it was, he was already staring at Steve with the ‘come hither’ look. Steve was pretending not to notice but a telltale flush burnished Steve’s cheeks, revealing to Tony that he definitely saw.

It was around this time that Peter and Wade made their entrance.

Steve saw them first and greeted, “Good Afternoon, guys! Sleep in?”

Peter grinned sheepishly and murmured, “Didn’t sleep in enough. I need to make myself a pot! Does anyone else want some coffee?”

“No, thanks…That stuff ya drink ain’t coffee, it’s jet fuel,” Bucky retorted.

“You simply lack the proper coffee palate that my son and I are gifted with,” Tony stated to Bucky. Turning to Peter, Tony said, “And I can never say no to a fresh pot of coffee.”

Peter nodded and went over to the coffee machine. Tony watched him with a critical eye. Peter looked exhausted. There were even bags under his eyes! He must have been up all night –.

Nope. He was going to put an immediate halt to _that_ line of thinking. He did not want to know what Peter had been up to all night with Wade Wilson.

“C’mere Wilson, pull up a chair,” Natasha called him over. Wade and Peter exchanged glances and then Wade wordlessly left Peter’s side to join them at the counter.

Natasha tapped on the barstool between Tony and her, indicating that was where Wade should sit. He did so, but moved slowly as if he was wary of an attack. Natasha pushed the bowl of chips toward him and stated, “Eat, you must be hungry after pleasuring Spidey all night.”

Tony spit out his chips and Peter dropped a mug. Bucky laughed and Steve looked like he was fighting laughing and frowning all at the same time which created an odd, warring expression on his face.

“For my own safety…” Wade seriously replied, “I plead the fifth…”

Without him meaning to, a small smile tugged at Tony's lips. The merc was wise in not bringing it up with Tony sitting right next to him.

Bucky chuckled some more and Steve paused to help Peter clean up the pieces of the mug, smiling as he did.  Peter was blushing furiously and mumbling apologies about the broken mug. As soon as the mess was cleared, Peter shot a glare at Natasha.

Natasha simply smiled and said, “After lunch, James and I were going to spar and I was hoping you’d join us, Peter. I’ve been told you’ve got a new defense that’s impenetrable…I’d like to prove everyone wrong.”

Natasha’s challenge broke Peter out of his embarrassment and he retorted, “You’re on, the loser buys the team pizza.”

“You’re on,” Natasha retorted and bit down on another chip.

\---

After some food, two cups of coffee, and tensely keeping an eye on his boyfriend and father, Peter was feeling much more awake. A shadow of exhaustion still lingered in his muscles but he was able to ignore its presence with the help of caffeine.

He'd been worried how lunch would go, but, with Natasha and Bucky there,  attentions were divided. Even though they sat next to each other Tony and Wade were cordial. They even shared small talk which practically blew Peter's mind. Both Wade and Tony were trying and Peter felt overjoyed by it.

When they all got up to go to the gym, Peter immediately latched himself onto Wade's arm and smiled happily at him.

Wade smiled back and put his hand over Peter's.

Everyone was able to fit into the elevator and the conversation about SHIELDS’ new agents assigned to the Avengers’ missions continued. Peter and Wade stood in the back corner and he privately murmured to Wade, “I think it went well.”

Wade nuzzled his face into Peter's hair and whispered, “I think so too.” Peter felt him press a kiss on top of his head and then lay his head on top of Peter's.

Peter relaxed into Wade’s side as a wave of relief washed over him. Everything was starting to finally work out in his life. He may have been outed as Tony Stark’s son but, he had this: his family and Wade. They were the most important people in his life…

The metal doors opened up to the training gym and they all made their way to the locker room to change. Peter dragged Wade over to his locker and whispered, “I want to surprise the others about Venom. Can you shield me as I ‘change’?”

Wade leaned onto the locker beside Peter’s and his massive body blocked Peter’s leaner form easily. Peter quickly changed into his gym shorts and willed Venom into a smaller shirt.

Peter was the first to stroll out to the training mats and came to a stop when he saw Clint testing out the strings on one of his arrows by his practice targets.

“Hi?” Peter said.

Clint nodded to them and said, “I hear you’re going to get your ass kicked?”

Peter snorted and rolled his eyes. Even before Venom, Peter was a pretty good match up with Natasha. His Spidey-Sense was a formidable defense as was his flexibility and strength in offense. With Venom, this sparring was going to be Peter’s easy win.

Peter went to the soft training mats and began to do some stretching as he waited for everyone else. Clint continued to play with his bow.

Wade sat on top of a stack of mats and asked, “Where are the Avenger themed pom-poms? I need to cheer on my man!”

Peter laughed and paused in his stretching to reply, “Do those even exist?”

“Don’t you sell them in a gift shop downstairs?”

“There’s a gift shop downstairs?”

Wade fell back onto the mats with an over-exaggerated groan and said, “I have so much to teach you, young padawan.”

Peter snorted and his parents walked out into gym. They waved to Clint and walked up to where Peter was stretching and Steve asked, “Aren’t you going to get your shield?”

“I have it on me,” Peter replied with a grin. He couldn't wait to see their faces once Venom was in action.

Tony’s eyebrows rose and he gasped, “Really? How??”

“You’ll see,” Peter eluded with a smirk.

Natasha and Bucky exited the locker room side-by-side, murmuring to each other in Russian. Both of their eyes focused on Peter at nearly the same time and, for a second, he felt like a mouse out in the open just noticed by two feral cats. But then Natasha’s lips twitched into a small smirk and Peter felt that competitive urge grow inside himself again.

Peter used a rolling motion to stand himself up with a slight jump and lightly landed on his toes.

“Ready to go?” he asked her.

“Whenever you are, kid,” she replied, stretching her arms in front of her.

She joined him on the mats and he backed up to the opposite side of the mats. Everyone stopped whatever it was they were doing and strolled up to the mats to watch. Wade stayed sitting on his stack of mats and Clint took his perch on the mats stacked next to him. Bucky stood in Natasha’s corner, watching her with a smug grin and Peter's parents stood near him. They leaned into each other and smiled encouragingly at him when he looked to them.

Peter smiled at them and then looked at his boyfriend to find Wade already smiling. It was all Peter needed to move forward.

Peter jumped at Natasha, initiating their sparring.

Sliding on her knees, she dove under him and dodged his initial attack. She kicked up her leg as she was under him, intending to hit him.

Due to his momentum, Peter wouldn't have been able to dodge the move, even with his Spidey-Sense, but he didn't need his sense. He had Venom.

In seconds, Venom encased Peter's entire body in the new Spidey suit and shot out tendrils to wrap around Natasha’s leg and stop her from touching Peter.

Peter landed gracefully where Natasha had been standing a moment before and Natasha fell onto the mats with a heavy thunk.

He heard someone inhale sharply but he didn’t look to see who as he was all eyes for Natasha. He'd have to review Friday's video later to see their reactions.

Venom let go of her and she got to her feet with narrowed eyes. She murmured, “That is more than a shield…”

Peter stood up straight with his arms slightly flexed at his sides in a loose defense. He agreed, “Yes, it turned out to be a little more defensive than a simple shield.”

Natasha wordlessly launched herself forward again, this time going in for a straightforward assault. Peter used his Spidey-Sense this time and stepped aside to dodge her. His sense flared when, a baton came out of nowhere when she was closest to him. She must have had a few strapped to her back to take him by surprise.

Venom caught the projectile and Peter grinned. Nothing could stop him.

Peter willed Venom to throw it back at her. He imagined it like a counter move and could easily see her dodging it. But Venom threw the baton back at Natasha with inhuman speed, hitting her square in the stomach. Venom had thrown it with such ferocity that Natasha was thrown off her feet and pitched into the opposite wall with such force that the reinforced wall cracked.

She made a strange noise upon impact. The air had clearly been forced from her lungs but it came out like a choke. She slid down the wall and did not get up.

Peter’s body was still pulsating with adrenaline from the fight and he stared at her limp form in shock. He almost didn’t believe it had happened because that was not how it worked. Venom did as he imagined and he did not imagine this.

Clint and Bucky were at her side in an instant, saying her name and checking her over without moving her. His parents were there next, hovering worriedly over her. Clint glanced over his shoulder at him and looked at him with this stare he’d never seen before…like…like Peter had done something monstrous.

Wade went to Peter’s side and lightly touched his shoulder. Peter flinched back and Venom acted immediately, turning its tendrils into sharp points and skewering themselves into Wade. Wade’s entire body jerked back as he was stabbed in multiple points.

“Wade?!” Peter gasped in horror and Venom withdrew immediately. Wade fell to his knees and Peter fell with him, catching Wade and willing Venom away from Peter.

Venom did not leave him but returned to shirt form.

Peter began to shake as he looked over the various wounds he’d inflicted on Wade. He’d seen people torn apart by aliens but looking at Wade like this and knowing he’d done it made Peter want to vomit.

Images of Uncle Ben and Gwen dying in his arms came to mind and an irrational terror came over him. He couldn’t lose Wade too!

“Oh, my God,” Peter gasped, his hands trembling as he held Wade. “Wade – oh, my God.”

Wade cupped the back of his neck and muttered, “I’m good, baby boy. I’m a mutant, remember? These scratches are nothing.” And Peter could see it. Wade was healing before his eyes but the fear and disgust were still there.

In a matter of minutes, he’d hurt both Wade and Natasha.

He embraced Wade tightly as tears pricked at his eyes and Wade returned the embrace with a soft, reassuring murmur. Peter looked over to Natasha. She was still unconscious and hung limply in Bucky’s arms. Bucky looked like he’d been about to move her but must have stopped when Peter attacked Wade.

Everyone, even his parents, were staring at him in horror.

He could feel that same horror growing within himself. Why had Venom done that??

And why was it still on him??

Peter put all his focus on imagining Venom ripping itself from his body but nothing happened…in fact, Venom contracted tighter around him.

Peter audibly inhaled sharply and clutched his chest as Venom restricted his breathing.

 All of his weight fell onto Wade as he gasped shallowly for breath and Wade tightly clutched his arms. Wade exclaimed, “PETER?!”

He heard the others run over but, upon their approach, Venom expelled its knife-sharp tendrils around Peter to keep them back and skewering Wade again.

Peter cried out when Wade was hurt again. But, despite the multiple impalements, Wade did not let go of him and gurgled, “P-Pe-t-terrr.”

Peter was hyperventilating and everyone around him was yelling and he could distantly hear the priority alarm going off. He closed his eyes to try to get a hold on his terror.

Venom was reacting to the danger and it was clearly no longer protecting Peter but itself. He needed to somehow reassure it that all was well and it should stop.

With a wave of revulsion, he knew it needed to stay on him.

And just like that, Venom sensed his thoughts and the restrictions on his chest stopped and he found he was able to breathe again.

He opened his eyes to see half the Avengers were already there, answering the priority alarm. Wanda had her hands raised and her pink magic glowing, Sam and Scott were fully dressed in their armor.

Peter was in the middle of a huge mass of moving spikes and he looked like a giant sea urchin. Wade was still at his side and his hands had held onto him but he was basically immobile due to the number of impalements he had. His blood was sliding down the tendrils and sloping down to Peter, drenching him in his boyfriend’s blood.

“M’ ok,” Wade mumbled, seeing the revulsion in Peter’s eyes. Peter began to hyperventilate again just seeing Wade in this state. Wade’s fingers twitched against him as if to somehow comfort him.

Peter needed to stop this. He needed to free Wade.

Peter, still catching his breath, turned to the others and gasped, “It’s protecting itself! Go! When it feels safe it’ll back down!”

“Pete, you’ve got to be shitting me!” His father gasped, “There’s no way in hell am I leaving you with this thing!”

 “Go, Dad!” Peter retorted. “Back up at least and lose all hostile stances!”

The team looked at him like he was insane but listened and back away. Tony had to be pulled back by Steve but he moved back without much fuss but never tore his gaze from Peter. Steve ordered the rest of the team away. They listened grudgingly though all of them looked like they were ready to fight Venom…to fight Peter.

Venom shrunk drastically when they were gone. Wade hissed as the tendrils became smaller. Peter’s head snapped over to him and he gasped, “Are you all right??”

“Perfect,” Wade replied with clenched teeth, bright red with blood.

Peter closed his eyes as another shudder of revulsion moved through him. He needed to stop this. He needed to regain control and help Wade. Breathing evenly, Peter gained control of his heartrate and tried to exude a peaceful feeling.

No one else was going to attack Venom. Peter was not going to remove it.

Venom was safe.

The black mass trembled but seemed to believe him. It shrunk again, this time returning to its shirt form. He caught Wade as he collapsed onto Peter. Again, Peter held him tightly and tears blurred his vision.

Venom moved uneasily against his skin and Peter snapped open his eyes to see his parents approaching him. Peter scooted back, dragging Wade with him, and gasped, “No! Don’t come any closer!”

Both stopped though their expressions clearly told him it was the last thing they wanted to do.

“Venom doesn’t want any of you near me,” Peter whispered in explanation.

“I’m special then, aren’t I?” Wade asked in a harsh whisper.

Peter looked down at him only to find him smiling at Peter. Peter choked out a pained laugh and gasped, “Of course you like the idea of this thing liking you.”

“Oh, I don’t think it likes me,” Wade replied and he coughed, clearing his throat of blood. “I think the number of times it shish-kabobed me shows how it really thinks of me. But I think it’s tolerating me, right _The_ _Thing_?” Wade patted Peter’s shoulder and Venom bubbled beneath Wade’s touch.

“It’s like an angry little chiwawa protecting its owner,” Wade laughed.

“Peter,” Steve called over to him, his voice tense. Peter and Wade looked up to him and Steve asked, “What can we do?”

“I think I would like to wait until Wade is fully healed but, after, I have this urge to see Bruce.”

He tried to keep his mind blank. Venom knew everything he thought. So he kept talking to keep his mind busy, and continued, “Bruce and Scott expressed an interest in my shield and I bet their interest is piqued now! It is certainly acting beyond the parameters I had set for it. I bet, with their help, we can _learn_ even more from it! In fact, I think I’ll feel safest in the Hulk Room so tell him, if he wants, he can find me there…”

Steve nodded, understanding and left the room in a sprint.

Peter looked to his father and couldn’t keep the fear out of his voice as he gasped, “Dad, talk to me, it can read my mind and I need to keep my thoughts preoccupied.”

He couldn’t think about what Steve was doing.

Venom trembled against his skin at the implication.

Peter’s hands tightened on Wade and he gasped to his father in a pleading voice, “ _Dad_!”

“Would you like me to list out everything Pepper disallowed from your birthday party?” Tony asked, his voice strained and his eyes worried.

“Sure,” Peter replied with a forced chuckle. He adjusted his hold on Wade and Wade lightly gripped his arm.

“I…I bet you’ll easily guess what was first on the list,” Tony stated.

Peter’s mind was in such chaos that he couldn’t even begin to guess what Pepper would put on such a list so he asked, “What?”

“Fireworks,” Tony replied tersely.

Peter rolled his eyes and actually felt some humor brush through the terror and fragile patchwork of calm he had buildup to subdue Venom. He gasped, “Of course!”

“I can’t wait for your birthday,” Wade weakly whispered, lightly running his fingers through Peter’s hair.

Peter dropped his head and gently caressed Wade’s cheek. He bit down on his lip and painfully gasped, “I was so excited to spend it with you too.”

“Hey now, no talking like that,” Wade murmured. “I’m alright. The boo-boos are healing right up! Nothing can kill me, not even Death, and trust me, she’s tried a lot.”

“Don’t talk like that, Peter,” his father commanded from the other side of the room. His face was ashen white and his voice trembled as he replied, hearing the deeper meaning to Peter’s prior words, “ _You_ are going to celebrate with all of us: Me, Steve, Wade, and the rest of your friends and family.”

Wade’s hand tightened on Peter’s wrist forcing him to cup Wade’s cheek. Wade murmured, “Baby boy, these little scratches or a B-Rating Movie Monster isn’t going to stop me so don’t let it stop you either. I know you’re stronger than that.”

It was hard to think positively when think those very thoughts could skewer Wade again. Peter just nodded and leaned down to kiss Wade and let his mouth distract him from the monster he’d created wrapped around his body.

Wade’s mouth tasted of sharp, bitter metal. It was another reminder of the pain he put him through. He gasped into Wade’s mouth, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not you, baby boy,” Wade whispered. “I wasn’t you. You can never hurt me…”

Peter wound his arms around Wade’s neck and pressed his face into the side of Wade’s face. Again, he whispered, “I’m so sorry…”

Wade sighed heavily and embraced Peter tightly, drawing him closer to him. when Peter began to cry, he did not draw attention to it and lightly ran his hands through Peter’s hair, constantly whispering, “ _I_ _love_ _you_.”

His father was silent throughout the exchange and it got to a point where Peter forgot he was there. In the cocoon of their flesh, it was just Peter and Wade.

Eventually, Wade whispered, “I’m going to stand up, Peter.”

Peter’s hands tightened on him and he demanded, “Are you healed?”

“Enough,” Wade retorted. He got to his feet with Peter still in his arms. Peter wrapped his limbs around Wade to make it easier for him to hold him and they began to move. Steve must have returned in the meantime because Peter could hear him whispering directions to Wade as he began to walk out of the gym. Peter buried his face into Wade’s chest and concentrated Wade’s heartbeats, measuring their rate between beats.

When Wade stopped, Peter cautiously opened his eyes and saw where he innately knew they were going: the Hulk Room. It was a windowless room build with the strongest materials on Earth, made to contain the strongest of the Avengers. It was the safest place for Peter to be while Venom remained on him.

Peter slid out of Wade’s arms and walked to the center of the room. Video cameras were in all four corners and he knew he was being watched from every direction.

“Wade…” Peter whispered, “I need you to go.”

“I am not leaving you alone in here,” Wade whispered harshly, coming up to Peter’s side to show him he was committed.

Peter turned to him and whispered, “You told me I am strong…but, I can’t be strong if I know you could be hurt because of a stray thought that Venom would perceive as dangerous.”

“I can handle it,” Wade pressed, grasping Peter’s hands.

Peter shook his head and murmured, “But I can’t…Please, go Wade. I’ll be alright as long as I know you won’t get hurt…”

Wade leaned in and pressed his forehead to Peter’s. His eyes were conflicted and he whined, “ _Baby_ _boy_.”

Peter gently kissed him and he whispered, “I love you…” He lightly pushed Wade toward the door and he stumbled back. He kept backing up, looking like Peter had torn out his heart.

When Wade passed over the threshold, the thick door was slammed shut and several locks clicked into place. There was a loud boom as another door closed and hissing as more locks moved into place.

Peter took a steadying breath and stated to the nearest camera, “Find Eddie Brock. He helped me make this. He’ll be our best bet in getting it off –.”

Peter’s words were smothered as Venom expanded and Peter’s heart jumped into his throat as he heard it shriek.

Peter fought its hold and fought to breathe but Venom was stronger. He could feel it fighting to break free and pummeled Peter’s body without a care. He could hear people trying to speak to him through the speakers, but their voices were muffled.

He did hear the burst of concentrated air fill the room with a sharp hiss. The gas took effect almost instantaneously. Peter grew lethargic and he was able to make out Bruce’s voice saying, “We’ll free you, Peter.”

Peter collapsed with Venom pooling around him like a coiled snake, protecting its nest. The gas only affected Peter but he was finally able to breathe because his mind was fogged and he was no longer thinking dangerous thoughts. Peter inhaled with great gasps, coating more of the gases into his lungs.

He tried to smile reassuringly at the camera, knowing everyone must be freaking out, but the gas potency was too strong for him and he was pulled back into the darkness. His smile faded with his vision and he wondered if he'd ever wake again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	14. Thursday, August 18th

The Avengers attempted to enter the room once Peter was unconscious but Venom had been unaffected by the drug and pushed them back. They did not attempt again, fearing the monster would hurt Peter more.

Hours had passed and it grew late. The Avengers looked tired but were also determined. They wanted to help Peter.

The team was gathered in the observation area to the Hulk Room. It was a room with a wall of holo-screens and all were focused on various angles of Peter. The entire team barely fit in the room and soon T’Challa was going to be added to the mix once was his flight was in from Wakanda. Even Natasha was there. She was a little banged up but she refused to be babied and stood with her arms crossed over her chest behind Bruce.

At the forefront of the room, was Dr. Bruce Banner, Scott Lang, and Peter's parents. Standing behind them were the Vision, Wanda Maximoff, Sam Wilson, James Rhodes, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, and even Pepper Potts.

And behind all of them was Wade...

Wade hovered in the background. He didn't belong with the Avengers. No one spoke to him and he didn't think a few even noticed he was there. He wasn't one of them but Peter was so all of the Avengers had assembled.

Peter was his everything so Wade was there too. 

Barton was the only one who wasn't there because he went out for Brock. Once the initial chaos of Venom’s capture was over, Steve took charge of his team and Barton was the first to receive direction. Getting Brock was their number one priority.

Finding him, however, was a whole other task.

Wade had been tempted to madly throw himself into the search, but he didn’t know the man nor did he know where to start. But Peter’s father instantly went to work, searching in his own way with his vast technical network.

Brock hadn’t been at his apartment so Tony illegally tracked his phone and saw he was at another apartment complex. A quick search of social media helped them determine it was his girlfriend’s apartment he was staying in, in New Jersey.

Now Barton was on his way back to the Tower with Brock in tow.

Peter’s father looked to Dr. Banner and demanded, “How much longer will Peter be out?”

Wade watched Banner as he sighed heavily, his exhaustion and worry was prevalent in the dark circles under his eyes and the pale parlor of his skin. It was late. Peter had gone down hours ago. Most people would be in bed at this hour...This time yesterday Peter had been sleeping peacefully in his arms. The thought did not sit well with Wade as his insides twisted unpleasantly.

Dr. Banner pinched the bridge of his nose and stated, “By my calculations…” Banner bit down on the end of his pen as his eyes scanned over the scribblings on the notebook in front of him. “With his metabolism and prior history, I’d say he’ll be out another hour, at most, two…”

Wade's nails dug into his palm and he looked to his boyfriend’s unconscious form. Peter's face was relaxed but there were bags under his eyes and his pale skin looked ominous. They had no idea what that thing was doing to Peter. Venom was never not in contact with Peter and mostly wrapped itself around Peter’s torso like a boa constrictor.

Wade had joked prior that Venom reminded him of _The Thing_ but now, with all they knew, it could very well be the movie monster he had joked about.

If that were the case, then Peter was already dead and the man he'd been with was merely an alien clone.

Wade fell back into the wall feeling sick. He couldn't let himself think like that.

[The only person who could have loved you-!] One of his voices began to lament. Wade ignored it the best he could but he felt sicker for it.

Peter was defiant until the end. That was his Peter. Peter was alive and he was going to survive this. 

The question was, could Wade’s sanity survive it?

He couldn’t do anything for Peter but, in this situation, he was utterly useless. All he could try to do would be to rip that thing from him but Banner had warned doing such a thing may be catastrophic. The symbiote had tried to strangle Peter for him merely thinking of getting rid of it. They had no idea what it would do if they actually tried it.

Science was the only avenue they had and Wade couldn’t help in that.

He was useless.

He didn’t even notice the obvious signs that this thing was dangerous. Looking back on it now it was glaringly obvious but Wade had been too enamored to take note. It was his fault this got so bad. Maybe if he’d noticed sooner, Venom wouldn’t have gotten so strong and –.

“Hey.”

Wade jolted from the quiet voice and the touch to his shoulder.

Steve was standing in front of him and Wade slowly released the tension created by his surprise. Steve had been standing on the other side of the room only moments ago and no one else seemed to notice their leader had crossed the room to speak with the dreg in the back.

Steve’s hand was still on him so Wade cocked his head to the side in question.

Steve observed, “You’ve been quiet.”

“Thinking,” Wade gruffly replied.

“I saw,” Steve replied. “And it was clearly about Peter…”

Wade dropped his head, wishing he had his mask. It was somewhere in Peter’s room but he couldn’t leave Peter to retrieve it.

“This isn’t your fault, Wade,” Steve whispered.

“Am I that much of an open book?” Wade murmured, still not looking at the Captain.

“…I saw the same look on my husband’s face and had to convince him of the same thing,” Steve stated.

“It's different for me…I really am at fault…” Wade admitted sadly.  

“No, you aren't,” Steve countered. “The only one at fault here is this alien. Tony blamed himself because this happened in his building – _in_ _his_ _labs_. But, Tony would've never wanted this, just like you don't.”

“But, unlike Stark, I saw Peter interact with Venom,” Wade hissed. “I saw that _Thing_ ignore Peter’s commands before and thought nothing of it! I could have used my head for once and saved him before this happened! It’s my fault! Peter is in there because of me!”

He was met with silence…total silence. Wade lifted his head and saw everyone had turned toward him. It was only then Wade noted the hoarseness of his throat and he realized had raised his voice. He couldn't meet any of their eyes because he knew he'd see the truth in their gazes...

His eyes cut to Peter’s face on the monitor, his guilt growing as he took in the hurts inflicted upon his lover.

{ _Your_ _fault_.}

Before Peter, Wade never really lived. Sure, he went through the motions of life and put on a good show but, he hadn’t really felt alive or happy until Peter had smiled at him and flirted back.

{And now you will never feel happy again.}

[You destroy everything you touch.]

Wade clutched his head and began to slide down the wall as he whimpered, “I do…”

\---

Whereas Tony had Steve to cling to for support, Wade's hands had nothing…He supported himself by leaning into the wall and his eyes clung to the screens before him like they were his only chance at human comfort. Even when Steve went to his side and tried to physically comfort him himself, Wade still only looked to the screens. Tony innately knew Wade looked this way because of Peter. If Tony were in his shoes and it was Steve in that room, he'd probably look the same as him.

It took Tony only a few seconds to see how broken Wade had become and, he bitterly admitted to himself, it was because of Peter and Wade’s close relationship, a relationship Tony had been trying to deny…

Maybe if he had accepted Wade, Peter would have been more open to share his bio-shield with Tony…

Tony dropped his head, Wade’s self-hate mirrored what Tony was feeling inside.

Wade had hunched over, clutching his head and Steve bent down with him, trying to help. Tony turned away and looked back to his son’s image. As he looked at Peter, he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. His toes were already over the edge and he was just barely supported on his heels.

He was trembling on that figurative cliff and in real life.

His son, his only child - one of the few people he loved in his life - he was nearly strangled to death by an alien substance Tony had okayed for use in the intern lab.

Why hadn’t he had someone, anyone keep checks on that thing?? It was alien and, yeah, they’d been researching alien substances for years, ever since Thor and his brother showed up, but that did not mean they should lessen their security! It was stupid! Hell, lessening security was the premise to most action films! It’d never been good!

“What the hell?” Scott hissed, grabbing Tony's attention and seizing his heart.

Tony's eyes snapped up to the monitors as he immediately looked to his son.

Without prompting, Bruce pointed to one of the holograms and stated, “He’s moving. With the Hulk sedative he inhaled, he shouldn't be conscious nonetheless moving!”

Peter's hand was indeed moving. It shifted across the floor slowly. Tony turned on the speakers and called out to his son, “Peter!?”

Steve was at Tony's side in an instant. He grasped Tony's hand and looked up at the screen with just as much concern. From the corner or his eye, he saw Wade step closer too. Unmasked, Wade's true face expressed more than his mask ever could. His eyes were focused on Peter with just as much love and concern reflected on his and Steve's.

Peter did not respond to Tony’s outcry, in fact, he didn’t seem conscious at all save for the movement of his arm.

The reason being became apparent as a dark tendril wound around Peter’s arm. Tony’s hand tightened on Steve and he demanded, “Pump more of the gas in there, Bruce!”

“The sedative does not affect it,” Bruce bit back, his voice tense as Venom stretched itself over Peter, moving his limbs as he did. He continued, “There's nothing we can do…”

“We can't just not doing anything!” Tony yelled. “We should rush in there and try to stop it before it starts strangling Peter again!”

“Let me go in!” Wade demanded. “It’d probably rather hurt me than Peter! I can ta…”

Wade’s words dwindled to a stop and his jaw dropped. Tony turned back to the screens and nausea churned his stomach as the symbiote had completely covered his son and the humanoid form was sitting itself up. A more sinister version of Peter’s Spider-Man costume seeped in white as an angled spider symbol hugged Peter’s chest and the almond shaped eyes opened.

And then it opened its mouth and Tony’s stomach dropped as he figuratively fell off the edge of that cliff.

This creature smiled at them with a row of teeth like a crocodile’s, but bigger. A pink, warped tongue flickered out from within in its mouth but there was no sign of Peter.

Wade wobbled and Bucky caught him before he fell. The mercenary demanded, “Am I seeing things??”

“No, this is very real,” Bruce gritted. Stats and readings were streaming in and both Bruce and Scott were pouring over them while anxiously glancing up to Venom.

“What do we do?” Steve demanded of the scientists. “Is it Peter who is awake or –?”

Steve’s unfinished question did need to be spoken aloud. They were all thinking it: Or was it Venom? 

How much more powerful was this thing? But, more importantly, what was happening to Peter??

Tony turned on the intercom again and, with his heart in his throat, Tony asked, “Peter? Can you hear me?”

Venom cocked his head to the side upon hearing his voice. It then threw itself at the nearest wall with a screech, hitting the wall with a loud thud.

Tony’s anxiety was rising with every passing moment of being unable to see his son. His heart nearly stopped when the body impacted the wall.

Venom stumbled to its knees, making groaning noises. The intercom was still on so it heard Tony gasp, “ _Peter_.”

Venom’s head jerked and, to everyone’s absolute surprise, it replied with a tortured, harsh voice, that wasn’t Peter’s and made Tony’s hair rise. It couldn’t speak intelligibly and murmured, “D-D-D-.”

“It’s trying to speak,” Scott gasped. “How intelligent is it??”

“Friday, has it shown the ability to speak before?” Bruce asked the AI, furiously turning through his notes.

“No, sir.”

Venom threw itself at the door next, screeching in fury. 

"We need to contain it, strap it down, do something!" Tony hissed. "It's going to hurt Peter!"

Venom raked itself with its own claws and tendrils of black mass flailed from its body. 

“D-Da-a-ad?” The mangled word passed through those elongated fangs but Tony had been able to understand it and, by the shocked silence from the team, everyone else seemed to understand it too. Even Bruce, froze in his search and looked up at the screens with shocked eyes.

That was Peter.

“Peter, is that you, buddy?!” Tony asked, his anxiety was now burning through his bloodstream like battery acid.

"Venom's activity may have been enough of a shock to his system to wake him," Bruce hypothesized.

Venom seemed disoriented and was stumbling around but it groaned, “C-cold and it hurts.” Venom fell and it gasped, “It’s-It’s crush-shing me.”

That was Peter's voice. That was Peter. 

Tony was going to be sick. His son...Peter was being hurt right in front of him and he couldn't stop it.

“Friday, connect me to Clint,” Tony bit out the command as fast as possible.

A holo-screen opened, displaying Clint sitting in the pilot seat for the quinjet. Tony spoke before the archer could get a word out, asking, “Is Brock there?!”

“Yeah, our ETA is five minutes, what’s up?”

“Brock, now!” Tony barked.

Without questioning Tony’s ire, Clint moved his holo-screen to the passenger seat. Brock’s scared face filled the screen. Clint had already briefed the young man on the situation. He knew his and Peter’s experiment had disobeyed Peter and would not come off.

“It’s crushing him!” Tony hissed, “I need to know how to get this off now!”

“W-We never tried methods on how to remove it physically! It always responded telepathically!”

“There’s has to be something!” Tony screamed.

Bruce jumped up and pulled the holo to him. In a more calmer voice, he said, “Think, Brock. You made this. You know everything that went into it. This is your baby. You probably dream of its chemical deposition in your sleep. What can weaken it?”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” Brock gasped with rising panic. "I don't know!"

Venom made a noise that was a combination of a shriek and groan. It’s body – _Peter’s_ _body_ – shuddered on the ground.

“Calm down,” Bruce soothed. “You are a smart, bright young man. Only the best can get into one of the Tower’s internships. You can do this. I need you to only do what you do best: think. How can we help Peter?”

“But Peter’s life is on the fucking line, isn’t it?” Brock gasped, sounding like he was seconds from hyperventilating.

“Breathe, Brock,” Bruce counciled and then breathed smoothly by example.

Brock breathed with him and, after a few breaths, shakily asked, “Can you send me all the readings you have?”

Bruce nodded and did as he asked. Brock’s face became more illuminated as multiple screens opened up in front of him.

“This isn’t much,” Brock murmured uneasily.

“It’s all we can get…”

Venom was still groaning and time seemed to move infinitesimally slower as Brock nervously looked over the information.

“W-We made this substance to be strong, to withstand a lot…” Brock stated uneasily.

“We noticed,” Tony growled.

Brock gulped and then whispered, “But it is still a biological entity so, theoretically, like us, certain things can hurt it but…but whatever we use could hurt Peter too.”

“Peter is stronger than he looks,” Vision stated, floating forward. The android waved his hand and the connection to Brock was muted, to Tony he said, “Your son is not an average human. He can handle levels which most humans would not be able to survive.”

“Levels?” Steve repeated, listening in.

“In amps,” Vision stated.

Scott's face paled and he gasped, “You want to electrocute him?”

Vision tipped his head in affirmation and stated, “I have seen Peter brush off high voltage and ampere levels as he examined a malfunctioning equipment. Additionally, he has fought and survived battles with Electro.”

“You want us to purposely electrocute Peter??” Tony demanded.

Vision turned to Tony and said, “I do not think Venom is purposely trying to hurt Peter. Peter is his host. It cannot survive long without him. I hypothesize the ‘crushing’ Peter is feeling is Venom’s attempt at fusion.”

Tony’s heart lodged itself in his throat and he couldn’t respond. That monster was trying to _fuse_ with his son??

“You think it’s trying to become one with Peter?” Scott restated breathlessly.

Vision nodded and stated, “If we do not act fast, it may succeed.”

Bruce turned back to the holo where Brock was watching them with a worried expression. He unmuted it and then asked the younger man, “Would electrocution work?”

Brock visibly gulped and replied, “Yes…but, there’ll no way to control the current. Peter would receive the same voltage.”

Bruce nodded and closed the hologram. He turned to Scott and Scott got to his feet stating, “I’ll get it. You got medical covered?”

“To the best of my abilities,” Bruce replied, gripping the table tightly. Scott nodded and wordlessly ran out of the room. Bruce explained, “Scott has a portable battery with high voltages in his lab.”

“We’re actually doing this,” Tony whispered, collapsing onto a nearby chair. He and Steve were still holding onto each other and neither let go when Tony fell. Tony could feel his husband’s grip shaking. The great Captain America could do nothing for his son. Tony knew Steve must have felt torn up inside by this fact.

“…Only one of us will be able to go in and apply the volts,” Bruce stated and directed his gaze to the back of the room.

The Avengers parted and looked to Wade Wilson with understanding.

Wade looked crushed and scared. Vision stepped forward and volunteered, “I can go. If it tries to attack me, I’ll simply change my body’s density so it will not touch me.”

“Venom does not concern me, it’s the electricity. You made be a synthetic human but the components that make and do not make you human are all susceptible to electricity,” Bruce argued. Wanda instantly grasped Vision’s bicep and the android leaned into the young woman, placing a comforting hand over hers. Bruce turned back to Wade and stated, “You are the only one in this room that can handle both the electricity and Venom.”

“You want me to _electrocute_ my boyfriend,” Wade gasped.

“I want you to _save_ him,” Bruce retorted.

Tony looked at Wade and no longer saw the mercenary that had been trying to corrupt his son. Instead, he saw a man, a man standing on the edge of a precipice just as Tony had been. He saw a reflection of himself in Wade.

So Tony got to his feet, gave Steve’s hand a reassuring squeeze before pulling away, and then walked over to Wade.

Wade scrambled to his feet looking scared of him. Tony kept moving forward and did not stop until he collected the larger man into his embrace. Wade was stiff in his hold, like he didn’t know what to do, and Tony stated, “Save him. Save our Peter.”

Wade finally responded by trembling and then returning the embrace with a tight hug. He gasped, “I…I’ll try.”

\---

When Wade entered the room, Venom reacted immediately by dragging itself away from the door and hissing at Wade like a serpent.

Wade held the battery and the makeshift prod Scott had given him tensely. 

The door sealed behind him and Wade reminded himself, “This is for Peter.”

Venom shrieked at him as he took a step forward. Wade kept moving and Venom grew in mass as if in warning. When maybe five feet separated them, Venom attacked. Spiked tendrils stabbed Wade in the shoulder and his opposite thigh. Wade gritted his teeth and taunted, “Shish-ka-bobs, again? Don’t you have anything else on the menu?”

Wade ripped himself off the skewers and moved toward the monster. Venom leapt at him and grabbed Wade with its razor-sharp claws and then shrieked at Wade with all its might, displaying its long teeth and hitting Wade in the face with flecks of its saliva.

When it stopped screaming, Wade wiped of a particularly large glob of spittle off his cheek and then suggested, “You want a Tic Tac?”

Before he could second guess himself, he turned on the battery and stuck the prod into Venom. Bolts raced across the prod and then into Venom’s body. Wade cringed slightly as some of those bolts hit him and his heart stopped and restarted a few times. Wade held onto the prod though and made sure it was always connected to Venom. The symbiote thrashed on the ground screaming bloody murder. It took only a few seconds for Venom’s shrieks to be joined by another. Peter’s screams mixed in with Venoms and Wade’s grip faltered.

“Don’t!” Bruce warned over the speakers.

Venom lost its humanoid form and became a churning mass. He saw hints of Peter skin and then a hand shot up out of the dark deeps, clawing for freedom. Wade took a single hand off the prod and reach for Peter's hand and grasped it.

The electricity ran through him again with this connection but he didn’t even notice it as he put all his strength into pulling Peter free. It was hard, it was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done. Slowly but surely, more of Peter appeared: the rest of his arm, a shoulder, part of his torso, and then, his head and the rest of his upper body. Peter yelled as his upper body was freed and grit his teeth as he pulled himself toward Wade. Terrible moans ripped from Peter as red welts formed on his skin from the electrical burns and smoke began to come off his body as if he was being cooked alive.

With a combined yell from both Wade and Peter, they both gave their all in one final jerk. They fell back together, wrapped in each other’s arms.

Vision instantly phased himself and Wanda through the wall and, as soon as she was materialized. Wanda worked her magic. Without having to worry about injuring Peter, Wanda flexed her hands and contained the symbiote in a pink ball of magic, crushing and containing the symbiote into a small sphere.

Once the threat was contained, Wade curled over Peter and looked him over. He was naked and his entire body was covered in welts and was still smoking.

Peter was limp. His eyes were closed and, for a second, Wade could have sworn he wasn't breathing either.

Wade never really understood the meaning to heartbreak until he lived in that moment where he was too late. No, Peter couldn't be...his voices were silent and his soul felt like it was shrinking away.

Wade lightly touched his cheek and fearfully whispered, “Baby boy? You okay? Please be okay!”

Wade hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until he released it when Peter's eyes flickered. He groaned and Wade gathered him into his arms as gently as possible.

Peter opened his eyes and smiled weakly at him. He leaned into Wade's hold and sighed, “You saved me, my prince.”

Wade laughed from his unbridled joy, just once because tears were forming in his eyes and if kept his mouth open he start to ugly sob and no one wanted to see that. Peter was alive. He hadn't killed him. Wade pressed his forehead to Peter’s and whispered, “Love you.”

“And I you,” Peter sighed, tucking his face against Wade’s and wounding his arms around Wade’s body in a weak embrace.

The doors unsealed as the rest of the team ran in. Bruce fell to his knees beside them with a first responders' medical kit but Wade did not react to any of them. He only had eyes for Peter. Peter stared back, his eyes half lidded and clearly exhausted but filled with love for Wade.

{Maybe we were in a fairy tale and he broke our curse} his voice observed.

[What do you mean? We’re still ugly.]

{But we’re happy} the voice retorted knowingly.

With his lips wobbling, Wade couldn’t help but agree. He’d never felt more relieved or happier in his entire life.

\---

Peter slept the entire day away. He didn’t once see the sunlight. He’d escaped Venom in the early hours before sunrise and had awoken in his bed a little after sunset.

His room had turned into a makeshift hospital with various machine sitting around his bed recording his vitals. Wade was dozing at his side with his limbs thrown over Peter in his bed. On Peter’s other side, and on the edge of his bed, his father also slept with his face buried in his arms and his bottom sitting on the edge of Peter’s desk chair.

Peter smiled at both of them and then tried to shift but groaned as his skin tingled with pain. Both men were awake in an instant and Tony even sleepily hissed, “Wha’s wrong??”

“Just a little tender,” Peter promised both of them. He sat himself up, propping himself against his backboard and continued, “It just feels like a really, really bad sunburn all over my body.”

“Maybe you’ll get a nice tan out of this?” Wade murmured, sitting himself up with Peter.

“I doubt it,” Peter scoffed.

Tony pulled the chair closer to the bed and he asked, “Are you really fine?”

“I got worse burns from Electro,” Peter assured his father.

Tony grasped his hand and said, “Bruce said he wanted to look over you again, once you woke up. You up for that?”

Peter sighed lightly to himself. He was going to be babied by the Avengers for the next few days. He nodded to his dad and replied, “Yeah, bring him in.”

Tony smiled gratefully at him and cupped Peter’s cheek briefly before getting up and leaving to get the doctor.

“I hadn’t realized the Doc was a…doc,” Wade murmured.

“He already had a few medical classes under his belt for his degree and has been studying it more recently for the team,” Peter explained, closing his eyes, still feeling a little tired. "He wanted to do more than Smash!"

Wade leaned into his side and ran his fingers over Peter’s skin. Peter was shirtless but someone had given him pajama bottoms to help preserve what little dignity he had left despite the fact that _everyone_ on the team could now lay claim to the fact that they knew what Spidey looked like in his birthday suit.

Clint was never going to let him live it down.

“I…I’m sorry, Peter,” Wade whispered.

Peter cracked open his eyes and saw Wade looked sad. He asked, “What are you apologizing for?”

“I…saw the signs. I knew there was something off about Venom but, I did nothing.”

Peter turned to face his boyfriend and really looked at him. A weariness had settled on Wade like he’d never seen before and he wasn’t smiling. Peter had grown used to seeing a smile adorn Wade’s face every waking moment they were together so it was strange not seeing it.

“You did nothing wrong,” Peter promised him. “I ignored them too and, well, it’s gone. What we did or didn’t do doesn’t matter anymore.”

Wade sighed and tucked his face into Peter’s neck, still looking glum.

“You saved my life,” Peter reminded him.

Wade shrugged and continued to wallow. Peter rolled his eyes but still persisted, “And I think my dad doesn’t hate your guts anymore.”

“Goodie, do you think he’ll let me take out the Iron Man suit for a test run,” Wade replied dryly.

“You saved my life, I bet he’ll even let you keep it,” Peter replied, kissing Wade’s forehead.

Wade sighed again but, this time it was more contently. He adjusted his arms around Peter and pulled him into a proper embrace. Peter began to lightly run his fingers across Wade’s spine and Wade closed his eyes as he relaxed.

A minute or two later, Bruce and Tony came in and, to Peter’s absolute surprise, Tony smiled when he saw them. Wade shifted just enough to let Bruce give Peter a look over but he still leaned into his side and kept his arms draped around Peter’s waist. Peter discreetly watched his father as Bruce worked. Tony still had that air of worry about him, which was no surprise since his son was being checked over by a doctor but he looked relieved and happy…and in no way upset that Peter and Wade were together in bed with Wade draped over him so familiarly while Peter was half naked. 

All this horror may have amounted to something good after all.

Peter smiled to himself and tucked his head against Wade’s shoulder, feeling content.

Bruce gave him a clean bill of health and then said to Peter, “The others are outside. They wanted to know how you were and if they could see you.”

“Yeah,” Peter replied, feeling bad for having worried them. “That’s fine.”

Bruce nodded and left. He returned a moment later with the entire team in tow.

Steve was the first in the room and Peter sat up to embrace his stepfather. Steve murmured, “Welcome back, Pete.”

Peter chuckled and greeted the others as they streamed into the room. His bedroom at the Tower was bigger than his bedroom in Queens but it quickly felt smaller with all of the Avengers filling its space.

Peter smiled at his teammates and assured them all he was fine as they asked how he was. Eddie came out of nowhere and Peter exclaimed, “Eddie! When did you get here?”

“He came to help,” Scott explained.

Peter grinned at his friend and said, “Thank you.”

Eddie shrugged and murmured, “It’s no problem…can I say I’m a part of the Avengers now?”

The team laughed and Tony clapped Eddie’s shoulder, saying, “I’ll give you an honorary participation badge. How does that sound?”

“Awesome,” Eddie replied with a grin.

Everyone was laughing and jovial and Peter just smiled and smiled and smiled. Beside him Wade did the same and he joined in the merriment without hesitation.

Peter’s life had changed drastically since the world found out he was Tony Stark’s son but, at that moment, Peter finally felt normal again.

All he had to do was deal with what to do with Venom…


	15. Friday, August 19th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! \o/  
> And a update for the chapter number! :D

Peter woke in his lover’s arms feeling extremely rejuvenated. He didn't know what Venom had done to him but, ever since Peter started to wear him, he'd been feeling more and more tired as the days went by. With the symbiote gone, Peter felt like a whole new person.

With his eyes still closed, Peter reflected over the prior few days. Not only had Peter felt tired but he had been overly obsessive with Venom and had, at times, isolated himself. Venom had done that to him and Peter hadn’t even noticed…it was scary to think what would’ve happened if he was still in the symbiote’s power… If it wasn’t for Wade and what he felt for him, he may have completely secluded himself and have been lost to the alien.

Peter slowly opened his eyes, his eyelashes brushing against Wade’s skin as he did. As he looked and listened to Wade he felt his heart swell. There was absolutely no doubt at that point…Peter was _totally_ thankful and in love with this man.

Peter sat up slowly, careful to not wake Wade. His boyfriend didn't stir and Peter smiled down at him.

A bit of drool was dripping out of the corner of his mouth and he was snorting lightly. He was laying on his side with one arm tucked under his head and the other drooped over Peter's waist. Peter only had on some loose pajama bottoms whereas Wade was still pretty much fully dressed. He'd kicked off his shoes before going into bed with Peter but Wade hadn't spared even the few seconds it would take to change just so he could stay in contact with Peter.

Still smiling to himself, Peter snuggled back into Wade's embrace. With his face inches from Wade's, and their noses just barely touching. Peter gently traced the side of Wade’s face with his finger, feeling out the shape of his jaw under the rough, pitted skin. He stared into Wade’s relaxed and closed eyes and felt blessed by the fact that he was one of the rare few who got to see him like this.

“…I love you,” Peter whispered to the slumbering Wade. “Drool and all…”

Peter lightly kissed him, avoiding the worst of the drool with his lips, and Wade finally showed signs of waking when he inhaled sharply and choked on the pool in his mouth. Peter chuckled as Wade cleared his throat and sleepily opened his eyes. He smiled as soon as he saw Peter.

“Hello,” Wade whispered, his voice still scratchy from sleep.

Peter ran the back of his fingers over Wade's jaw and whispered, “Hello to you too.”

He wiped the corner of Wade's mouth to rid him of the spittle and Wade grinned at him for the action.

Wade asked, “How are you feeling?” He shifted against Peter, moving closer to him by hooking his legs behind Peter's.

Peter tucked his head onto Wade's shoulder and whispered, “I’m fine, _great,_ in fact.”

“Good,” Wade murmured and ran his fingers through Peter's hair.

They lay in bed silent for a few minutes, sleepily cuddling. Wade checked him over as covertly as he could but Peter still noticed when Wade ran his hands over his arms. His skin was still puffy and red, especially in the spots where the worst of the burns had been. He looked like he had a really weird, splotchey sunburn and, when Wade ran his gentle fingers over it, he still felt a sudden, sharp twinge of pain. Peter purposely did not react to the pain, not wanting to worry Wade.

“I'm fine,” Peter stubbornly promised.

“So _fine_ ,” Wade purred and pinched Peter's butt. Peter laughed and lightly nipped at the side of Wade's neck.

Wade chuckled and pulled him on top of his chest and fell back into the bed with Peter on top of him.  Wade's heart thudded gently against one of his arms and Wade ran his fingers through Peter's hair. It was relaxing and Peter felt his eyes begin to droop again until Wade asked, “But are you sure?”

Peter sighed heavily and pulled away from Wade's touch as he sat up on his lap. After a moment of hesitation, Wade sat up too, looking worried and he lightly placed his hands on Peter’s hips. staring at each other, eye-to-eye, Peter grasped Wade's hands and promised, “I am totally alright. I may still be a little physically banged up but I will be fine soon…Venom’s gone, everything is great.”

“I'm sorry for overly worrying,” Wade sheepishly murmured and he squeezed Peter’s grip. He whispered, “You looked like you were on the brink of death when I first pulled you out and it scared the shit out of me…” Peter could see the fear reflected in Wade's gaze as he relived the moment. Wade closed his eyes and continued, “Especially when..." Wade paused and took a shuddering breath before whispering, "For a while there, I thought you were going to go somewhere I wouldn't be able to follow…I thought you were going to die...”

“You can't get rid of me that easily, Wade,” Peter lightly teased and carded his fingers with Wade’s to better squeeze his hand.

Wade gather Peter's hands together and then brought them up to his mouth to kiss them. He revealed in an earnest whisper, “I'd rather lose my life than lose you.”

Peter heart clenched as did his hands and he whispered, “Please don't talk like that.” He pulled Wade into a tight embrace and buried his face into his neck as he stated, “I don't want to lose you either, Wade. I don't even want to imagine it, so, please, don't ever say it.”

Wade wordlessly returned the embrace but held him tightly, like he was afraid of Peter slipping away.

“I love you,” Peter reminded him. Wade's embrace tightened around him and Peter felt Wade’s lips wobble against his shoulder.

“And it's because of that I think I'm the luckiest Wade Wilson in the Multi-verse,” Wade jokingly stated, with only a slight tremble to his voice.

Peter had no idea what the Multi-verse was but he translated it into something akin the vastness of the known universe so he felt humbled by it. He retorted, “Then I’m the luckiest Peter Parker.”

Wade picked up his head and grinned at him. Peter took the opportunity to kiss him again and Wade pushed into it with a relieved sigh.

They laid back down, this time closer, with their chests pressed so tightly together that they could feel each other’s heartbeats. Peter nestled his face against Wade’s and closed his eyes as he listened to him breathe.

“I’m so glad I hit on you, baby boy,” Wade whispered. “Every morning I wake up in your arms feels like a miracle…”

Peter smirked as he remembered Wade’s cheesy one-liners. Laying in Wade’s arms, Peter truthfully replied, “I feel blessed too. You are the greatest thing to ever happen to me…”

Wade trembled at his words and Peter thought nothing of it until Wade’s breath hitched. Peter’s eyes snapped open and he pulled back as Wade gasped, “No-!”

He was crying.

“Wade?” Peter said with concern, cupping his boyfriend’s cheek.

“Ugh, I look even worse like this,” Wade jokingly groaned, rubbing at his eyes.

“Babe-?”

“Look, I –…” Wade pressed his forehead to Peter and grasped his hands. He whispered, “I’m okay…I’m – I’m just happy!” He wetly chuckled and whispered, “I think this is the happiest I have ever felt in my life and it’s because of you – _you_ – Peter.”

Peter’s racing heart began to slow as he understood. He wiped the happy tears from Wade’s cheeks and whispered, “Every version of Wade Wilson is a handsome version, you don't have to hide this from me.”

Wade shook his head and murmured, “How did you fall in love with this mess?”

“Your mess and my mess just fit,” Peter retorted, lightly kissing one damp cheek followed by the other. Peter lay back down and snuggled his way back to where he had been before and whispered, “You weren’t the only broken one…You are my miracle too.”

Wade wrapped his arms around Peter and tightly held him, gasping, “I don't deserve you...but I love you too much to let you go."

Peter returned the embrace and replied, “The feelings mutual. You're stuck with me, my prince."

\---

From another room, Tony watched Wanda manipulate the orb Venom was encased in. Vision stood before her, watching her every move with an unblinking gaze. Wanda ignored him in favor of concentrating on her task. She was hardening the orb, making it impossible to escape and give it the ability to be held without Wanda’s intervention. Once she was done, Vision would take the orb and throw it into the sun, destroying that monster once and for all.

Steve’s hands spread across the muscles on Tony’s back and then he rubbed Tony’s shoulders as he murmured, “They’re almost done.”

Tony leaned into Steve and sighed, “I know.”

Neither of them slept a wink last night and he knew Steve was concerned about Tony now too. Tony hadn’t even attempted to go to bed. He needed to be aware and involved in every aspect of this until that monster was gone. Only then could he relax.

Steve too was on edge and had been in full Captain America mode since yesterday. Steve’s hands on his shoulders were comforting to Tony but he knew they were a comfort to Steve too. They naturally relaxed in each other’s presences. Tony leaned back into his husband and cupped his hand over one of Steve’s tense grip.

Wanda had a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead by the time she was done. She grinned despite her exhaustions and turned to the camera she knew they were watching her from and announced, “We’re good to go!”

Steve’s hand tightened on his shoulders for a second and then slipped away from him. He stepped beside Tony and commanded, “Vision, it’s your turn. Are you sure there is nothing more we can do to help you?”

Vision took the orb from Wanda, gifting the young woman one of his rare, gentle smiles, and then he turned to the camera, stating, “Any form of assistance will hinder me only. I will be fine, Captain. I have journeyed through the atmosphere and the space beyond before. All you can do now is regroup… and prepare for your son’s birthday. I should be back by then.”

“Thank you, Vision,” Steve stated sincerely.

Tony grasped Steve’s hand and added, “Seriously, thank you. You’re not just taking care of a problem, you’re utterly destroying it.”

Vision nodded, his way of saying you’re welcome and then he rose into the air cradling the orb in both hands. They watched him until he phased through the wall and disappeared. Tony watched the spot for a few extended seconds, just to make sure Vision and his cargo were gone. When the android did not reappear, Tony turned to Steve and asked, “Have you seen any of the _Alien_ movies?”

“No?” Steve replied, slightly confused.

“Then I apologize ahead of time for all of the _Alien_ references I make for the rest of the week because, holy shit, I think we just killed the mother of all aliens before it impregnated and killed the crew of the U.S.S. Avengers.”

Steve smiled at him and murmured, “Feeling better?”

“Friday, is that thing out of our atmosphere?” Tony asked.

“Yes, Vision is bypassing the moon as we speak,” the AI retorted.

Answering Steve’s prior question, Tony replied, “Yes, much better. Peter up yet?”

“Yes, he and Mr. Wilson are currently eating in your private kitchen,” Friday stated.

“Good.” He grasped Steve’s arm and said, “Let’s go check on our boys.”

Steve’s eyes widened comically and his mouth broke into an exuberant smile that didn’t look like it could possibly get any bigger. They began to walk to the elevator and Steve kissed his cheek and then wrapped his arm around Tony’s side as they walked. He gushed, “You do realize what you just said right?”

“Something akin to a come on?” Tony sarcastically asked from his place deep inside Steve’s embrace.

When they got into the elevator, Steve whispered, “You said ‘our boys.’ You were including Wade too, weren’t you?”

Tony flushed. He had said that, hadn’t he? And…he meant it. He wanted to check on the both of them. Peter had been hurt and, as they worked on Peter, Wade had looked completely broken. In all of the fights he’d been in with Wade, he’d seen the mercenary be gutted, decapitated, mangled, or worse, but he always kept smiling or joking.

Yesterday, he had seen a completely different side to Wade Wilson.

Wade cared for his son deeply and Tony was finally noticing it.

“I have no idea what you are referring to,” Tony replied airlessly, not wanting to admit it yet. He’d hurt Peter and Wade because of his stubbornness to disbelieve what was now so obvious. He wanted to apologize, truly apologize, and let them know his eyes are open. For now, he’d dance around it with Steve, but Wade and Peter deserved the admission from Tony first.

Steve was still smiling widely. He knew Tony well enough to know when he was fibbing. He kissed Tony’s cheek again and he rubbed his arm, stating, “Peter will be overjoyed.”

The doors opened to their apartment and he could hear Wade and Peter’s soft murmurs down the hall. Tony smiled to himself and let Steve lead him into their home and in the direction of the rest of their family.

\---

Later that night, the entire team was gathered in the communal room, watching an 80-inch hologram of satellite footage from Vision’s journey. He would be in safe throwing distance to the sun soon. The Avengers watched the tiny smudge that was Vision with good spirits.

Tony, Sam, and Rhodes had the prime spot on the couch to watch the event and they were all analyzing the android’s flight path and while drinking. Tony was enjoying a club soda while the other two were drinking beer.

Steve and Bucky had teamed up against Peter and Wade playing pool. Clint was their referee and was making bad calls on nearly all their shots. Bucky and Wade looked like they wanted to stab the archer with their pool sticks but Clint was smiling without a care. Tony and his couch buddies were placing bets on who was going to break a pool stick first. Tony bet on Bucky, the Winter Soldier’s metal grip usually tightened in his ire.

Natasha and Wanda were at the bar, mixing drinks and trading secret smirks as they whispered together in Slovenian.

Girl talk, Tony surmised.

Because most girls talked about Eastern European politics and debate the throwing accuracy of the bar’s ice pick.

Yes, definitely modern girl talk.

Bruce, Scott, and Eddie Brock sat on the other couch, both of them were nursing drinks the ladies had made for them and discussing Venom’s physiology. Bruce was drinking what looked like a bright pink virgin margarita with five different variations of fruit sticking out of it, Scott had a Pina Colada with several large pineapple slices, whip, and a cherry on top, and Eddie had a multicolored daiquiri with a quarter of an orange skewered with an umbrella.

Gotta love those girls.

By their glances at Clint, he guessed the archer was going to be their next victim in the drink creations.

The elevator doors opened and Tony tore his eyes from the bar in time to see T’Challa arrive. The team called out greetings and he nodded to them in turn. T’Challa called out to Peter as he walked over to him and Peter stepped away from his game to meet the Wakandan King halfway.

“I was told you faced a dire experience and survived. I am glad you are fine, my friend,” T’Challa stated, clasping Peter’s forearm.

“So am I,” Peter replied with a smile.

“And the beast?”

Peter nodded to the television and stated, “Vision is taking care of it.”

T’Challa nodded and stepped closer to the projection and Tony's couch. He asked, “How much longer?”

“Not long,” Tony answered. “Friday will tell us when he’s in ‘projected’ throwing distance.”

“Projections may be off due to my limited information on Vision’s throwing capacity and how its inertia would be affected in the vacuum of space,” Friday stated.

“What she said,” Tony sarcastically stated. He held up his club soda and asked, “You want a drink, the ladies make a mean cocktail?”

 “Already got it covered,” Natasha announced, cutting up some fruit and Wanda watched her hands with a grin.

Peter grasped T’Challa’s forearm and asked, “Have you met Wade yet, you know, Deadpool?”

“I can’t say that I have but I certainly have heard of his exploits,” T’Challa replied.

Peter pulled him over to the pool table and said, “To give you the quick catch up, we’ve been dating and he saved me from Venom.”

Wade had been listening in and turned bright red upon Peter’s statement. He scoffed, “I wouldn’t call it _saved_!”

Peter let go of T’Challa as soon as he reached Wade’s side and carded his fingers into Wade's. He confidently stated, “ _You_ _saved_ _me_.”

Tony chuckled to himself and turned back to the hologram as the couple began to bicker and flirt.

“Peter and the Merc with a Mouth,” Rhodes stated, also turning back. “…I never saw it coming.”

“Me neither,” Tony replied truthfully.

Sam turned to look back at them and observed, “But, they’re good together.”

Tony didn’t need to turn around to know Wade and his son were looking at each other with warm gazes that one would only see in couples happily in love. Once again, Tony replied truthfully, “Yes, they are.”

“So, is Wade a part of the Avengers now?” Rhodes asked. “…On that note, how did all of us join? We all were kinda just thrown together?”

“Yeah, but I think we all were thrown together in times of disaster! He _did_ advert a national catastrophe and saved the ‘damsel’ in distress, so he has to be one of us now” Sam stated with a smirk.

Tony snorted up his carbonated water and then laughed as Rhodes rolled his eyes. Tony chuckled, “He’s got a point! Venom was totally the alien from _Alien_!”

Eddie sits up straighter and turns to Tony, asking, “What did you say?”

“He was comparing Venom to the alien in the _Alien_ movie,” Rhodes replied for him with a smirk. "He's been doing it all night."

“…But…if you’re using that analogy, wouldn’t that mean Venom was going to come back?”

The last of his drink tasted sour as he swallowed it but Tony did not pinch his lips. Instead, he pinched his eyebrows and questioned, “What do you mean?”

“Well, in the first movie, Ripley thought the alien was dead but it was really in the escape pod with her,” Eddie retorted.

“But she blasted that bitch out because she was a badass!” Sam said with a laugh. He pointed at the screen in front of them and stated, “Vision is about to blast our alien into the sun so I think we skipped that part of the movie!”

“If it makes our alien story a little more boring, I am more than happy to take the B-rating that goes with it,” Tony said, looking over his shoulder to see his son safe and leaning into Wade’s side.

Eddie hummed noncommittedly and turned back to the other two scientists. 

With Eddie no longer seeming interested in the conversation, Tony turned back to the screen and he and the other two heroes began dissecting the _Alien_ movies and finding more correlations between them and what had happened to Peter.

From the little Tony was able to overhear, Eddie, Scott, and Bruce continued their scientific conjecture.

What he didn’t see, were Eddie’s fingers.

Or the way they were almost in constant contact with his wrist where a black wristwatch with no face was fastened.

It didn’t tick, it didn’t display time, it just sat there...biding its time.

Waiting.


	16. Saturday, August 20th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience, real life has been quite busy this summer and this chapter is thrice the size of my usual chapters so it took much longer to get out than usual! But it's here and the end is in sight! I promise I will work diligently on the next chapter to get it out MUCH sooner! :)

On Peter's 22nd birthday, he woke up to Wade sucking him off.

“Holy shit,” Peter gasped, instantly awake. He sat up sharply and dug his fingers into Wade's scalp.

The corners of Wade’s lips upturned in a cock-obstructed smile and he happily hummed, making Peter's toes curl as the feeling reverberated through his dick.

Peter bit the back of his hand and moaned heatedly as Wade continued to suck. He wrapped his legs over Wade's shoulders and pressed his heels into Wade's back, pressing him to continue as he panted for breath. They'd both gone to bed nude the night prior so everywhere Peter touched was met with naked flesh.

Wade let go of him with a pop and murmured, “Happy birthday, baby boy.”

He latched back onto Peter before he could respond and Peter threw back his head and arched his back, gasping, “ _So_ _happy_ –!”

Wade chuckled and, much like what had happened when he hummed, the feeling ran through Peter again. Peter pressed his heels deeper into Wade's back with another heated groan.

It was probably going to go down as one of the top ten most erotic things he'd done in his life.

Wade deep throated him and it immediately skyrocketed to the top five.

Peter came within minutes and he lay in his pillows gasping for breath, too shocked to move.

Wade crawled up his body with a carefree smile and whispered, "How was that?"

“Best. Birthday. Present. Ever.” Peter replied breathlessly. Wade chuckled and lay on top of Peter, resting his chin on top of his arms right above Peter's receding heartbeat. Peter put his hands on Wade's biceps and reiterated, “You are the best.”

“Just for you, Petey,” Wade murmured, his mouth still curled into a smile.

Peter pet the side of Wade's face, also smiling lightly at him. He whispered, “You get To go to my birthday today.”

“Ohhh, I must be a keeper,” Wade teased.

Peter snorted and murmured, “It’s going to be great having you there.”

“I'm excited,” Wade replied.

An excited thrill ran through him…he was excited too.

Peter wanted to relax in bed with Wade all day but it was his birthday…and he was at the Tower. He was surprised Tony hadn't barged into his room yet.

And there no way he wanted his dad to see him and Wade naked…

“Birthday breakfast time,” Peter declared, pushing himself up by his elbows.

Wade picked himself off Peter chest and they slid out of bed together. Peter changed into new clothes and Wade slipped on the clothes he had tossed on the floor.

“Steve would probably be cool with you borrowing some clothes,” Peter observed. Because of the Venom incident, Wade had been wearing the same clothes for days…and they were starting to get a little smelly with all the blood and what not on it.

“That…would actually be awesome,” Wade gasped, probably more star struck by the idea of wearing Captain America’s clothes than disgusted by the shape his current attire was in.

Peter chuckled and said, “Friday? Can you ask Steve if Wade can borrow some clean clothes?”

After a pause, the AI replied, “He says he'd be happy to loan some.”

“Cool, I'll get those and you'll go take a nice long shower,” Peter said, pushing Wade in the direction of his bathroom.

“All alone? How boring,” Wade sighed over-dramatically.

Peter chuckled and gave his boyfriend one last push before sealing him away into the bathroom.

Peter met Steve outside his bedroom and they went through his closet together as quietly as possible. Peter's dad was snoring loudly from the bed and Steve whispered in explanation, “I turned off his alarm so he could get as much sleep as possible. He stayed up late last night getting together last-minute things for your birthday.”

“Good idea,” Peter replied in an equally hushed tone. Peter picked out a “Run NY” shirt with an Art Deco image of the Statue of Liberty jogging in running shorts in addition to some blue jeans with an accompanying belt.

“Thanks, Pops,” Peter murmured, lightly clasping his arm as they exited the bedroom.

“No problem, Pete,” Steve replied with a grin. “Breakfast in twenty?”

“Sure,” Peter replied.

\---

Tony woke to Steve's gentle kiss on his cheek. Tony stretched and cracked open his eyes. Steve was sitting next to him and he lay a comforting hand on Tony's stomach as soon as he opened his eyes. In his other hand, he held a mug of coffee.

Tony sat up, reaching for the coffee and moaning, “I love you.”

Steve handed him the coffee and his other hand slid from his stomach to hook onto his hip as soon as he was sitting upright. Steve murmured, “I love you too, Honey. Sleep well?”

Tony took a sip of coffee and murmured, “MmmHmmm.”

Steve ran his fingers through Tony's hair, trying to fix it most likely, and murmured, “Good, can't have you falling asleep on your son’s birthday!”

Tony's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull and he choked down the coffee he was about to swallow. His groggy mind woke up with Steve’s statement.

“How late is it??”

“Everything is going according to schedule,” Steve reassured him, pressing down on Tony's shoulder to keep him jumping out of bed. Steve continued, “Pepper is keeping an eye on everything and is getting the communal room ready as we speak. She got our wedding handled in less than 48 hours. She had even more time for Peter's birthday.”

“ _But_ –!” Tony began.

“Nope. Drink your coffee and throw on your slippers. Peter and Wade are joining us for a late breakfast and then you can help her with your scheming. Right now is family time.”

Tony smirked at his husband and agreed, “Alright, family time it is.”

In the time it took Steve to bring him his favorite moccasin slippers, Tony was able to drink most of the coffee.

He also tossed Tony one of his favorite sweaters. It originally had been Steve's but Tony commandeered it for his own. Tony teased, “Don't want me walking around half naked?”

“I wouldn't be able to take me eyes off you,” Steve retorted.

Tony snorted and pulled the sweater over his head. It was soft and the arms were too long and Steve's eyes crinkled as Tony pulled up the sleeves.

Breakfast was nice. Steve had ordered out and they had pastries like donuts and danishes. They sat at the small table in their breakfast nook and basked in the sun as they discussed both Peter's present birthday and past ones.

Tony watched his son smile and lean into Wade. Their hands were almost always connected and they both looked so happy that Tony felt like an idiot for not noticing it sooner.

“What do you want to do until the party starts?” Tony asked Peter.

Peter shrugged and murmured, “Truthfully…nothing. I just want to laze around and maybe watch some movies.”

“Sounds nice,” Steve replied and Tony nodded. After the last couple of days Peter's had, he had the right to relax.

“Pajama day it is,” Tony stated with a grin.

\---

Peter didn't know if he should be annoyed with his dad or laughing at his audacity.

“We’re going to watch _Alien_? _Really_?”

“Ripely is hot,” Tony countered, settling onto the couch next to Steve.

“ _Really_?” Steve murmured.

“You're hotter, babe.”

“Thank you,” Steve replied smugly, wrapping his arm around Tony's shoulders.

“She's also badass,” Wade points out.

Peter had laid his head on Wade's lap and he turned his head to glare at the mercenary. He said, “Are we all forgetting about the alien? You know, the thing the story is named after?”

“But Ripley…with guns…and running around in her underwear,” Wade pouted.

Tony laughed and said, “She was the wet dream of all the teenage boys of my generation.”

“Now I need to see this woman in action,” Steve murmured with interest.

“That's right! Steve hasn't seen the movie yet! We might as well watch it and the sequels!”

“Not all of them,” Wade quickly countered.

“Yeah, don’t get me started on the horror that was _A-V-P_ ,” Tony groaned in agreement.

Peter sighed heavily and turned back to face the screen. Wade ran his fingers through his hair and murmured, “We don’t have to watch it if you don’t want to…”

“Are you kidding me? I want to see Steve’s reaction to the chest buster scene,” Peter retorted, making Wade chuckle. Wade’s nails were lightly scraping his scalp and it felt amazing. Peter hoped he wouldn’t stop for a long time because it was relaxing.

He wasn’t worried about watching the old monster movie. The movie’s alien and the symbiotic alien that had attached itself to Peter were vastly different…More importantly, Wade and his father were interacting favorably. There was no tension and they were all relaxed.

It made Peter enormously happy.

The movie started and Friday dimmed the lights.

Wade’s fingers continued to run through Peter’s hair and Peter let out a content sigh.

So far, his birthday was perfect…

\---

Steve nearly jumped out of his seat during the chest buster scene and they teased him as he settled back down onto the couch. His dad loved the movie and had made popcorn partway through and kept shushing them during the tenser parts. Around the second movie, Peter dozed off halfway through it as Steve was bemoaning the tactics of the space marines. Wade woke him with a light kiss to the cheek as the credits began to roll. A new batch of popcorn was made and they started the third movie. This time Peter leaned onto Wade’s side and they shared a bowl of popcorn between them as both his parents began to discuss Ripley’s role in the film.   

They'd just finished the third movie and Tony could no longer wait and had to go help Pepper with the party. It wasn't going to start for another four hours but his dad seemed to think there was a lot more to do…what, Peter didn't want to ask but he and Wade parted from his parents at that point.

They went back to Peter's room and Peter automatically went to his cell phone. He hadn't checked it all day and when he opened it he saw he had quite a few notifications. He scrolled through them, ignoring the Facebook birthday messages and likes on Instagram.

MJ had messaged him late last night asking him if: “This was for real?” and forwarded him a copy of his birthday invitation.

Peter cringed when he took a closer look at it. Before that moment, he hadn't seen the Facebook invitation his father and Pepper had created. There was the general info for the party (when, where, etc) but there was a gif of the Tower with a tiny Iron Man flying around holding a cake.

“This is so embarrassing,” Peter groaned and fell back into Wade. He'd been hovering over his shoulder and had seen the text too.

Wade chuckled and wound his arms around Peter.

Peter quickly explained the realness to the invite and his thoughts on the matter and texted the reply: ‘My dad is a dork. I'm sorry.’

He sent a similar text to his dad saying: ‘Just saw the invite. You are a dork. You and Pepper will never make my invites again.’

His dad replied with an immediate heart emoji and MJ replied with several laughing face emojis a few moments later and a promise to be there.

Peter rolled his eyes but went back to the group event to see who was invited. He always talked to his dad about his life so he saw the usual suspects on the list like MJ, Betty, and Ned. The interns were invited too and the Avengers of course. His dad had used their SHIELD run Facebook pages for the invites so Coulson was probably shaking his head at it.

Peter looked up at Wade and said, “You’re going to meet my friends tonight.”

Wade looked a little taken aback and he clarified, “…As your boyfriend, right?”

“Of course,” Peter scoffed.

“…But I'm Deadpool, Pete. A lot of normal people may not _know_ who Deadpool is but, those who do, also know I'm Wade Wilson…Do you want it to get out that you're dating me? Plus, as soon as the press take one look at my face and, well…They’d probably wonder why you’re with me…what with all the…” He motioned to his head and said, “You know?”

“Premature baldness?” Peter teased to try to lift Wade’s spirits. Inside, however, his heart broke with Wade’s words. He knew Wade had very low self-esteem. Before they started dating, Wade had kept it hidden from everyone, including Peter. But now that they were in a relationship, he was opening up to Peter and letting him see his true feelings about himself in addition to his love for Peter. 

Wade smirked and ran his head over his scalp. He seriously retorted, “I don’t want you being dragged in the mud with me…I’m just as different on the outside as I am on the inside and people don’t like different.”

“Wade –,” Peter began. 

“Nah, nah,” Wade continued, still running his hand over his scalp. “It's true. I’m as crazy as a soup sandwich.”

“You’re not crazy,” Peter countered. “Eccentric, yes, but not crazy.” Peter gently grasped Wade’s arm to make him stop touching his head and then pulled down his hand until he was able to card his fingers into Wade’s. He continued, “If you’re crazy, then I’m crazy because I love you.” He pulled Wade into an embrace and repeated with more conviction, “I love you…”

Wade nuzzled his face into the side of Peter’s neck and whispered, “I love you too, baby boy…”

Peter pulled back and traced his nose along the side of Wade’s nose. He lightly kissed him and whispered, “You are the most important person in my life. Don’t you dare think you are anything less than valuable because, to me, you are the world.”

“Why are you so perfect?” Wade whispered. Wade’s eyes were sparkling with love and Peter’s heart felt more fuller than it ever had in his life.

He trusted his friends, especially the ones Pepper had picked. They were close with Peter and good people…but what if there was another Mac among them? What if someone takes their photo and posts it online? What if they do so by mistake? How long would they be able to keep it a secret? How many people was he going to have to lie to? How long can he and Wade be happy without their relationship being dissected by total strangers?

He didn't want to be secretive with his relationship with Wade.

He didn't know how his parents did it…the only ones who knew Steve and Tony had been dating was the team, Coulson, Pepper, Happy, and eventually Peter and Aunt May.

“…Baby boy?”

“What are we going to do? Forget story of the month, I’d be story of the year,” Peter groaned. He could already see the gossip rags bringing up the stupid clone thing again.

“A lot of supes will be there,” Wade murmured with a shrug. “I can just be another one in the crowd.”

“The whole point of this party is for my friends and family to celebrate together…I don't want _you_ of all people to be left out…” Peter stubbornly jutted out his bottom lip and leaned heavily onto Wade. He murmured, “It isn’t right…You’re my boyfriend…”

“But if it means you do not have to deal with those media hounds again, then I’ll happily bug Clint all night for completions. The man can never turn down a bet,” Wade retorted and soundly kissed his cheek as if that settled it. Peter continued to frown and wrapped his arms over where Wade's arms had crossed over Peter's chest.

He hadn't even considered the media…he hadn't really thought about them since…well…since Wade entered his life. He’d foolishly fantasized about introducing him to MJ and the others.

But now Peter was stuck in the peculiar situation of choosing between being open or closed about their relationship.

Peter shook his head and stated, “You are my boyfriend, Wade, and tonight we are going to flirt and kiss and probably embarrass the hell out of each other but it’s happening.”

Wade smiled and his eyes crinkled with his joy as he murmured, “Alright, baby boy. Whatever you want…”

“Wade, no matter what others say or think, you are perfect for me,” Peter reminded him.

Wade pressed his forehead to Peter’s and murmured, “I know.”

Peter wrapped his arms around Wade, wishing he could share everything he felt in his heart with the mercenary to make him understand how much he cared for and needed him.

Maybe Wade got a sense of Peter’s thoughts because he buried Peter deeper into his embrace and repeated, “I know…” 

\---

With hours until the party, and his parents busy, he and Wade had time to themselves. Peter enjoyed it. He finally gave Wade a tour of the place and, when they came across his dad’s gaming system, they just had to play a few games.

After a while however, Wade started giving him this look and he knew they needed to return to his bedroom pronto or risk having his parents find them in a compromising position.

When they reached his room, they shed their clothes and tumbled into his bed, laughing as they tickled each other. Wade was most beautiful when he laughed. His eyes sparkled and his smile was filled with the upmost joy.

Seeing Wade like this, Peter found it impossible to imagine others thinking any less of Wade.

Wade’s worry about the media’s reaction to their relationship stayed with him ever since Wade brought it up. Peter had never considered it until Wade voiced it into existence.

As Peter’s fingers danced across Wade’s torso and he laughed with no abandon, Peter knew at that moment that he’d want to come out to the press with him. Wade did not think well of himself but Peter could see deeper.

“You’re so amazing,” Peter laughed with him. He kissed Wade as his boyfriend gasped for breath, making their kiss as Wade needed to catch his breath.

Wade ran his hands down Peter’s body and Peter moved with his touch, encouraging him along. Wade murmured, “You’re even more so.” He kissed him again before he could rebut the comment.

Their bodies melded together almost seamlessly, like they were made for each other. They were perfect for each other and, as Wade kissed him so preciously, it made it hard for him to remember how he’d lived without Wade for so long.

It also made it impossible for him to imagine a life without him moving forward.

\---

Peter and Wade were cuddling on his bed, watching an old eighties movie when his dad finally came to collect them for the party. They knew he’d be coming soon so had redressed and hid any evidence of their lovemaking.

His dad led them to the communal room where they’d hanged out last night, watching Vision fly the symbiote into the sun. The party hadn’t officially started yet but the Avengers were there and as soon as Peter entered the room, they all cheered, “Happy birthday!”

Peter flushed and murmured embarrassedly, “Thanks guys.”

The communal room had transformed overnight. The floor was covered in bright balloons, speakers were set up in all corners of the room promising loud music, the bar was lit up and flashy like a bar at a popular Vegas club, and there was so much food that Peter even doubted the team members with legendary metabolisms could finish it all.

Tony turned to him with a big grin and asked, “How is it? Not too big but not small at all! Good, right?”

“Great, dad,” Peter replied. He hugged his father and repeated, “It’s great!”

The rest of the guests trickled in and Friday announced them like a herald. Those who were used to the AI found it amusing, like Logan or Kitty. His friends from his life as boring old Peter Parker were a _little_ surprised and quite a few may have jumped.

“Hey, Tiger, happy birthday!” Peter spun around and Mary Jane enveloped him in a tight hug. Peter buried his face in her red tresses and held her tightly to him. It’d been months since he last saw her. She was his best friend and neighbor since he was young and was the closest thing to a sister he’d ever had. She had moved to Los Angeles not long after they graduated high school and started a career as a model. She was doing amazing and any other person would have probably dropped Peter the second they got any fame, but not MJ. They kept in contact through texting and FaceTime. Despite the distance and years, they were still as close as ever.

She pulled out of his embrace and then punched his arm as she said, “I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me who your _real_ dad was!”

She’d already complained multiple times to him about this ever since his true connection to his father was revealed. She probably wasn’t going to let him live it down

Peter shrugged and rubbed his tender arm. He replied, “It wasn’t just my secret to tell.”

“Pete, you knew the moment I got my period,” MJ deadpanned. “We share everything with each other.”

Wade happened to clear his throat at this point, reminding them of his presence at Peter’s side. Flushing slightly, Peter cleared his own throat and murmured, “MJ, may I introduce you to Wade…my boyfriend and Wade, this is MJ, my best friend…”

Once he knew he and Wade were getting serious, he’d told MJ that he’d started dating again. However, that was all he told her. She was ecstatic and had tried to get more out of him but he teasingly refused to tell her until she visited him.

And now here she was and her and Wade were scrutinizing each other very differently. MJ look mostly shocked and Wade’s expression was of barely concealed trepidation. Peter instinctively reached out to his boyfriend and put a comforting hand on his arm.

MJ, meanwhile, punched him on the arm again.

“Ow!” Peter said, flinching back from her with a hiss.

He ignored his spidey-sense as she hit him a second time and gasped,” Why didn’t you tell me you were interested in men??”

“It just happened!” Peter retorted and MJ hit him again.

“MJ, stop!” Peter gasped and she hit him _again_.

MJ shot him a glare and then turned to Wade and embraced him without any warning. Wade immediately stiffened and MJ said, “It is nice to meet you Wade and thank you for being there for Peter when I couldn’t. I could tell the moment you entered his life because he sounded so much more happier.”

Wade flushed and awkwardly tapped her back, replying, “You’re welcome?”

MJ chuckled as she drew back but she kept her hands on him as she looked at him. she asked, “So who is Wade? And how did you make Pete fall for you in the middle of this mess with the press?”

“My charming personality?” Wade guessed and Peter smiled in agreement.

MJ’s lips also quirked up and she said, “You are going to tell me everything Peter has been holding out on.” She tucked Wade’s hand into the crook of her arm and began to walk him away as she said, “I want all the dirty details and when I say dirty, yes, I am alluding to the sex.”

Peter walked with them, grasping Wade’s other hand and retorted to his best friend, “Really, MJ?”

“I have to find out about your life one way or another,” MJ retorted, leading them to an empty couch on the far side of the room.

“I’ll tell you _now_ ,” Peter replied, rolling his eyes at her.

“This is going to be interesting,” Wade murmured. Peter glanced to him and Wade elaborated, “What ‘dirty details’ are we going to discuss exactly?”

They sat down with Wade still in the middle and clearly MJ’s main focus.

“MJ,” Peter warned, knowing his friend too well.

“Well, we can jump right on the pink elephant in the room,” MJ said with a sly grin.

 “My second favorite creature, right after unicorns,” Wade murmured with a nod.

“ _MJ_ ,” Peter intoned in a deeper voice.

“Favorite position?” She asked, ignoring Peter and his resulting groan.

“Can I have more than one?” Wade retorted without pause.

Peter flushed deeply. He and MJ openly discussed their sex lives in the past but was certainly very different when’s one’s partner was sitting right there! – _And was the one discussing it!_

“I’m liking you already, Wade,” MJ said, leaning back into the couch and poking Wade’s legs with her knees. Her expression lost its teasing tilt and softened as she asked, “But seriously, tell me about you two. I want to know everything about the guy who my best friend literally can’t let go of.”

Peter glanced down at his hands with a flush. He had wrapped both his hands around one of Wade’s unconsciously and locked them together with doubly carded fingers. He didn’t let go of Wade and Wade lightly squeezed his hand and smiled sweetly at Peter. Peter smiled back, knowing his face was an open book, portraying to MJ how much he loved this man.

He looked to her and saw she was smiling warmly at the both of them. She whispered, “Now you really have to tell me everything.”

Leaning into Wade, Peter started his tale about the guy who tried picking him up with the cheesiest one liners and won him over.

\---

It was hard to separate himself from his best friend but the rest of Peter’s friends were trickling in and, since it was his birthday party, he had to act as host and help those who knew him as Peter Parker transition into his new life with superheroes and the super powered. With all the outreach programs the Avengers were involved in, the team were well adjusted to getting citizens to relax around them and the two different parts of Peter’s life meshed together easily.

Wade and MJ were still gossiping on the couch, laughing at nearly every other thing the other would say; his dad was talking with Betty and Ned, probably grilling them on every little factor from his life in high school; and his fellow interns were playing pool with Clint, Bucky, and Steve…they didn’t stand a chance. Everyone was having a good time. There was no drama about who he was related to and there were no emergencies for the team to go running after. His best friend and his boyfriend liked each other. And his friends seemed fine with his superhero family.

Everything was perfect.

He couldn’t ask for anymore for his birthday to make it any better.

“Hey, Pete.”

Peter turned around to see Eddie standing close behind him. Peter took half a step back and said, “Hey, Eddie! I didn’t see you come in…You doing alright?”

Eddie didn’t look too good. He was pale and there were bags under his eyes. It looked like he was sick. Had he gotten much sleep since Venom?

“I’m doing great,” Eddie replied with a weak smile.

Peter wasn’t convinced but he didn’t push his friend anymore on the subject and instead offered to indirectly help him by suggesting, “Let’s go sit down in the corner. We haven’t really talked since…well…you know.”

Eddie nodded and followed Peter to the bar. They sat at the end and Peter asked Nat for two waters. Natasha nodded and filled two glasses with ice and placed them in front of them before filling them with the bar hose. She then stepped down to the other end of the bar to give them the privacy they clearly were looking for.

Eddie took a long drink from his water and Peter took a quick initial sip and then ran his fingertips around the rim of the glass.

“Firstly, I want to thank you for what you did that night,” Peter murmured.

Eddie swallowed his water thickly and, without meeting his eyes, replied, “You shouldn’t…you don’t have to thank me, Peter…”

Peter grasped his friend’s arm and murmured, “I mean it, Eddie, I’m so thankful for you being there. You helped Bruce and the others figure out what to do to get that thing off me.”

Eddie shrugged, not wanting to argue it anymore.

Peter asked, “I also wanted to know how you want to move forward. Venom has been destroyed but, with it, so has our experiment. We’re going to have to start from square one…but this time I think we should avoid using alien life forms as our base solution.”

Eddie chuckled darkly at Peter’s ironic observation and drank another gulp of water. He finally met Peter’s eyes and said, “I think we’re still in the middle of our experiment though. We still haven’t found out the effects Venom had on us. It had easily fused with our solution at the beginning of the experiment. Did it do anything to us while we wore it? Have we changed because of it?”

Peter’s fingers stopped circling his cup and he looked at Eddie warily. He whispered, “Did something happen while you were wearing it?”

Eddie tested it out for a day just like Peter had. Did something happen while he was wearing it?

Something flashed through Eddie’s eyes but, whatever it was, was gone in an instant and Eddie smiled brightly at Peter, replying, “Probably just the same as what had happened to you. Don’t overthink it, Parker, I’m just speculating on very little sleep.” He tiredly rubbed his eyes and continued, “I should be drinking coffee right now not water…”

“Why don’t you lay down for a bit? We’ve got plenty of extra rooms here,” Peter offered, placing a gentle and on Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie stopped rubbing his eyes and murmured, “That sounds great…”

Peter nodded and wordlessly got to his feet. Eddie also stood and then followed him across the room. Some of the interns called for his help at the pool table but Peter waved it off, wanting to escort Eddie to where he could nap.

Friday helped lead Peter to an empty room on the next floor. It was a guest room Tony usually provided for his business partners. The lights turned on as soon as they entered. The room was simple by his dad’s standards with a king-sized bed, a small kitchen, eating area, and sitting area with a full entertainment system.

Eddie walked across the room to the opposite wall that was purely a window. He looked down and stated, “They all look so small down there…”

Peter joined him and looked down at the people below. It was dark so his eyes were mostly drawn to the busy traffic in the streets as the lights of the cars and street lamps illuminated the movement.

Eddie was rubbing at his wrist and whispered, “Do you miss it?”

Peter turned to his friend and asked, “What?”

“The power that came with it…not just the defensive ability…but the power it gave you too,” Eddie whispered, staring down at the moving world stories beneath them. “I felt like I could do anything…”

Peter didn’t have to ask what he was talking about. He considered it for a moment and then replied, “No, I don’t miss it…I think the risks outweigh the benefits. Venom tried to control me but I am my own person…”

“But what if you cohabited?”

Peter shook his head and said, “I don’t think that thing would have ever cohabited. Don’t live with what ifs, Eddie…The symbiote is gone. There’s no going back.” He grasped his friend’s arm and stated, “We’ll restart our experiment and make a bio-shield that will help its wearer, not harm…”

Eddie nodded and then hugged Peter tightly. Peter was a little taken aback and he murmured, “Eddie?”

“You’re a good friend, Peter,” Eddie murmured into Peter’s shoulder.

“Um…thanks?” Peter replied, awkwardly rubbing his back. Eddie wasn’t really a hugging guy so this was a little weird…

“I’m sorry for not being such a good friend,” Eddie gasped sharply, sounding on the verge of tears.

Alarmed, Peter returned the hug and stated, “You are! Is this still about Venom? Your help got it off me! I barely have any marks left from the electrocution.”

Eddie let him go and looked… lost. He clutched his wrist and murmured, “…That’s why Venom liked you more…you’re stronger…”

“…Eddie?”

Eddie turned to the bed and said, “I should take a nap.”

His weird behavior must had been because he was tired. That coupled with the trauma over the Venom incident probably was making him a little wonky. Peter chuckled and said, “Alright, you want Friday to wake you in an hour?”

Eddie fell onto the bed and sighed, “Sure.”

Peter stepped back as the AI dimmed the lights and said, “Alright, see you in an hour, buddy.”

Eddie didn’t reply so Peter assumed he was already in snooze town. He silently backed out of the room and then closed the door gently behind him.

What Eddie said troubled him…he and Bruce seemed to get along. Maybe he could get Bruce to speak with Eddie about the incident and, if need be, look into counseling.

It was only after he was gone did Eddie caress his wrist and tiredly whisper, “See you in an hour…”

His wrist was bare, not even a tan line was there to mark where the watch had been there only minutes ago.

\---

Peter returned to the party and his eyes automatically searched out Wade. Their gazes collided from across the room and Wade blew him a kiss. Peter pretended to catch it and pressed it to his lips. Wade and MJ were still together and Peter was going to join them but caught his dad’s eye. His dad waved him over and Peter went to him.

“Enjoying your party so far?” He asked with a wily grin.

Peter glanced over to Wade and MJ and replied, “It's great, dad.”

“Great to hear!” Peter's eyes lingered on Wade and MJ and his dad observed, “It looks like they're getting along.”  

Peter turned back to his dad with a happy smile, saying, “Yes, swimmingly in fact.”

Tony’s eyes crinkled and he murmured, “That’s great, kiddo.”

Peter paused, wanting to discuss something more personal with his dad for the last couple of hours ever since his conversation with Wade about the media.  

It was so strange with their roles reversed. It felt like a lifetime ago his dad was worrying about coming out with Steve but now here Peter was, wanting and worrying about coming out with Wade.

“Dad…You-you know the media better than anyone. How’d you think they’d react to Wade? To us?”

Tony’s widened a little and he whispered, “You want to come out to them… _now_? So soon?”

“No, well…I don’t know,” Peter groaned. “…Wade seems to think they’ll paint him as this crazy person.”

“They might,” Tony said with a shrug.

“ _Dad_ ,” Peter hissed.

“Hey, I’m just preaching the truth! They really might do that! It’ll really depend on how you introduce him to them.”

“So not covered in his own blood like he was yesterday?” Peter asked sarcastically.

“Har har har, yeah, definitely not like that,” Tony replied just as sarcastically.

“How then?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tony sighed. “Steve and I went big. Not only did we unleash the scoop of the century but we also had one of the most talked about weddings of the century and the press _love_ celebrity weddings…You aren’t going to marry Wade any time soon, are you?”

“ _Dad_ , we _just_ started dating,” Peter groaned and flushed with embarrassment.

Tony held up his hands and laughed, “Just making sure!” He crossed his arms over his chest and murmured, “However you do it, if you want positive press, firstly you have to include them to make them feel welcome. If they find out on their own, they’ll pick you apart. You also have to approach it ‘American Dream’ style: how happy you two are, what perfect lives you have mapped out together, white picket fence in the horizon, blah, blah, blah…”

“Or big surprise wedding where you include a few close friends and family and hundreds of strangers,” Peter added on with a smirk.

“Exactly,” Tony agreed with his matching smile. “The American Dream.”

“They’re really going to think we’re clones now,” Peter groaned.

“I have no idea what they are seeing, I clearly have a more refined jawbone,” Tony retorted, running his fingers down said bone.

“Thanks, Dad,” Peter replied sarcastically.

“Seriously, Pete, it’s all conjecture in the end. What you, me, Wade, and everyone else you love knows… that’s what matters, not what the press is gossiping about this week.”

Peter nodded and, when he didn't speak up, Tony asked, “Are both of you ready for this?”

“Right now? I…” Peter paused, reflecting over everything in his life. He hated how the press had invaded his life and made it impossible to be boring Peter Parker anymore. But he accepted that part of his life. He’d probably began to accept it years ago when he first found out Tony was his birthfather. He was Tony Stark’s son and being so meant he would share the spotlight with his father. Peter could handle the press and he stated, “I know I am…I don't know about Wade…”

“Then you should probably continue this conversation with him and not your old man,” Tony said.

Peter grinned and hugged him. He murmured into his shoulder, “Thanks, Dad.”

“Hey, what are dads for?”

Peter slipped away from him and went straight to Wade and MJ. He wiggled his eyebrows at his best friend and she got the clue to skedaddle. Wade looked at him with a sardonic smile and said, “You know I was about to get into the really juicy part of our sex life.”

“You two can continue later,” Peter waved it off and sat next to Wade, leaning into his side and grasping his hand.

“My dad and I were just talking about the possibility of us coming out to the media,” Peter stated. The blood drained out of Wade’s face and Peter quickly added, “We were just discussing the possibility! I wanted his opinion in the matter! He’s like a master when it comes to knowing the ins and outs of the news media.”

“What’d he say?”

“Mainly, he warned to not let the media find out on their own…that we should tell them,” Peter replied.

Wade nodded and then darkly murmured, “Then our countdown has already begun.”

“One day…I’d like to do like my parents did and come out, together…” Peter whispered. “When you’re ready Wade, I’d like to just yell out to the city how much I love you…until then I’ll work tirelessly with you to keep it a secret.”

Wade cupped Peter’s cheek and murmured, “You’d really be okay with it. After everything they’d already put you through? They’ll be even more focused on you once they find out about me. How will you keep Spider-Man a secret?”

It was a constant fear for Peter…but, after Venom, hiding his identity didn’t seem so important. What was important was what’d he lose in his obsession in keeping his identity secret, whether it was losing himself to Venom’s control or losing Wade because he worried more over his identity than their relationship.

In the end, it was simple for Peter, Wade came before Spider-Man.

Peter replied, “Spidey will just start to swing out of the Tower until the press calms down. It isn’t that much of a life changer…though Spidey and Deadpool probably shouldn’t have any more rooftop dates.”

“The temptation to pinch your butt will be so strong,” Wade groaned comically.

Peter grinned and embraced Wade. He whispered to him, “Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready, but know I’ll always love you…”

Wade buried his face into Peter’s neck and whispered, “I know…”

\---

Wade sipped on whatever alcoholic concoction Natasha had mixed up for him. She guessed correctly on his extreme sweet tooth so he could just barely taste the rum inside. He leaned against the wall and watched Peter interact with his friends.

Peter was happy. He could tell by the way he smiled and threw himself into his laughter. He loved seeing this side to his baby boy. He wanted to see such unbridled joy in him every day.

Which was why he felt such trepidation in Peter’s suggestion.

There was no doubt between them that they loved each other but Wade wasn’t sure he was ready to share that with the world.

He’d never had to deal with the press like Peter did. He never cared what they printed and he didn’t have a persona he wanted to keep untarnished. He was Wade Wilson, the infamous Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth, and the Regenerating Degenerate…

Peter was the opposite. His identities as Peter Parker and Spider-Man both had separate reputations that the press would kill to get info on. Peter had been avoiding the headlines but Wade had been collecting them (he was making a collage with hearts). At first the press had been speculating who Peter was exactly and had made wild assumptions based off the strangest rumors. Eventually, however, after Stark gave his interview and others provided testimonials like professors, classmates, or friends. A picture was being painted of Peter, one that was of an intelligent young man who was making his way into a career as a scientist. In addition to his friendly and charismatic personality, he would be a perfect successor to Stark Industries. They loved him. He was the ideal image of the American male in his prime.

Until Wade was added to the mix.

The ideal image of the American male is heterosexual after all… not to mention Peter was handsome so he was expected to date someone equally beautiful…

[Buzzkill.]

{You’re seriously overthinking this. Peter himself said he doesn’t care what the press thinks.}

“He was really upset by how they reacted to his relation to Stark,” Wade countered to his voices.

{He was upset that his relation to his father was _revealed_ ,} his voice countered. {If you two are controlling it then he won’t be upset.}

“It’s not that easy…”

[Because the world’s eyes will be on us! Imagine all that disgust! I can feel it crushing me already!]

{True, you’re more worried about yourself right now, aren’t you? Don’t lie, we already know the truth.}

Wade sighed heavily, hating that the voices were right.

“That sounds like the sigh of a man with a heavy burden,” a deep voice grumbled.

Wade lifted his head with a grin and greeted, “Hey Logan, you beautiful hairy man!”

The X-Man was one of the last to arrive but Wade was happy to see him. If it weren’t for Logan and his nose, Venom might still be on Peter.

Used to his eccentrics, Logan leaned on the wall beside him and grunted in response. He was drinking out of a beer can that Wade recognized as being one of Logan’s favorites from Canada. Aw, Stark thought of everyone.

Logan’s eyes flickered over him and then he murmured, “Nice to see your face.”

Wade touched his bare cheek and murmured, “Oh, yeah.” He stopped wearing the mask around Peter and hadn’t gotten around to putting it back on since he and Peter were _always_ together.

He remembered the burning shame and embarrassment he used to feel whenever he caught someone looking at his bare face. Now…he still felt a little uneasy knowing the mask wasn’t there but…it was tolerable. He didn’t even notice the looks of disgust anymore. Just one look from Peter made everything all better.

He looked to Peter at that moment and seeing him smile made Wade’s insides feel all happy bubbly.

“Ugh, the dopamine stench coming off you is ridiculous,” Logan grumbled, rubbing at his nose. “I’ve never smelt someone so smitten."

“Peter and I are sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G,” Wade lightly sang with a smile. Logan was right, he was smitten.

“What's upsetting you then?”

Wade cocked his head to the side and murmured, “I'm not upset.”

Logan touched the side of his nose and said, “Need I remind you of my sense of smell.”

“Your sniffer is infamous,” Wade retorted, not really answering his friend’s inquiry.

“I came over to see if you were okay, not to gush over my nose or Peter,” Logan grumbled.

Wade chuckled, “He is great, isn't he?”

Logan glared at him and Wade sighed over dramatically, “Okay, fine, you got me. Something may have been bothering me.” Wade sighed heavily and Logan took a sip out of his beer, waiting on him to continue. “Peter wants to eventually come out to the press…”

“Hmmm,” Wade hummed with understanding.

“I see why he wants to but…I…” Wade looked to Peter and continued, “I’m scared of how the media will react to me and…it will change us. I know it will and I’m scared it’ll be for the worse…I don’t want to lose him, Logan…”

“Shit, this is probably the most serious conversation I’ve had with you…”

“Chimichanga Gansta fo’ life, my plushie wolverine,” Wade retorted, making Logan roll his eyes.

“And there it goes,” Logan sighed. “But seriously, you know who you’re talking about right? Peter is one of the toughest guys I know. He may look like a normal college kid but he’s fought beside the Avengers, fought alone, and…he’s one of the few of us who has lost so many loved ones and _still keeps going_. Most supes would’ve retired or turned dark by this point. Your boy has this drive that’s a superpower in itself. He ain’t gonna lose you just because some people think you’re too ugly for him. He loves ya. You two are so in love it’s disgusting. You both reek of it. Peter thinks you two are ready for this press thing, right?”

Wade nodded.

“Then, in the end, it will really determine when you are ready,” Logan said, stating the obvious but, with it spelled it for him like this, he felt it really settle in.

Peter had said he’d wait as long as he needed…but would he ever be ready for this?

Wade was used to people confusing Deadpool with Spider-Man but that wouldn’t be the case once everyone knew exactly who he was. When he’d enter a room, he’d no longer be just a horribly disfigured stranger, he’d be Peter’s horribly disfigured boyfriend.

_My prince_ , he imagined Peter correcting him, his voice a loving sigh.

Wade shook his head and his insides bubbled nicely at the memory of Peter’s voice. He knew Peter and he loved Wade despite _everything_. That was the only thing that really mattered in the end. They loved each other. He murmured, “I know right now I’m not ready but…one day…” He looked to Peter again and stayed with more conviction, “I will be with him for the rest of my life and that will entail letting the world know about us. So, yes, one day, but for now I’m content hogging him all to himself.”

Logan punched him lightly in the arm and grumbled, “All this serious and lovey dovey talk coming from you is weird.”

“I have Disney’s _Lion_ _King_ memorized. Would you like me to retell it instead?”

“I’m happy for ya, bub, but forget I said anything,” Logan grumbled.

“We open up to total darkness and the sound of chirping bugs but then the orange sun breaks over the horizon and ‘The Circle of Life’ begins –,” Wade began.

“I am walking away,” Logan said.

“Nants ingonyama bagithi baba,” Wade began to sing, following his friend with a laughing smile. “Sithi uhhmm ingonyama!”

\---

Peter eventually began to feel a little dizzy. He easily rationalized it was probably because he hadn’t drunk any water in a while but had been sampling a lot of the sugary treats found around the room. He leaned against the bar and asked Natasha, “Can I get a glass of water?”

She wordless grabbed a glass and began to fill it. She asked, “Enjoying the party?”

“It’s the best,” Peter replied and she handed him the water. Peter accepted it with a grateful smile and took a few much-needed chugs.

She agreed, “Everyone is having a good time…but where’s Brock?”

“Shoot!” Peter put down the glass and hurriedly said, “I left him in one of the guest rooms to take a nap. I should grab him!”

Natasha shook her head and put her hand over his wrist, stopping him from pulling away. She said, “Stay and enjoy your party. I’ll check in on Brock and see if he’s ready to come back to the party.”

“Thank you,” Peter replied gratefully. The older woman slipped away and Peter sank back onto the stool with a light sigh. He closed his eyes and willed the sugar out of his body to feel better.

“Ready to go to bed, baby boy?” Wade murmured gently.

Peter lifted his head as he opened his eyes and smiled lightly at Wade. His boyfriend must have been keeping an eye on him. Peter reasoned, “I think I ate too much sugar.”

Wade pulled him into a gentle embrace and whispered, “Blasphemy.”

“I don’t have your iron gullet,” Peter retorted, poking him in the belly.

Wade chuckled and murmured, “It’s getting late, we can go to bed, screw around, and then fall asleep cuddling in our filth.”

“Such a romantic as always,” Peter sighed but his heart was already longing for it. He felt better with his eyes closed. Maybe it really was time for bed. He continued, “I just got to say my good-byes and then we can head up to my room.”

Wade nodded encouragingly and Peter quickly finished his water before standing up and leaning into his boyfriend.

One by one, he went up to each group, thanking them and saying goodnight. Some of the last he saw were his parents. Both men hugged him and his dad held him in an especially long embrace. Peter returned it with just as much feeling his dad put into it. Usually, he would be embarrassed by his dad’s over-emotional reaction but today was different. Just two days ago, he’d wondered if he’d make it to his birthday.

When they pulled apart, Tony clasped his neck and murmured, “Another year.”

Peter nodded and replied, “And more to come.”

They grinned at each other with matching smiles and parted wearing them.

He and Wade held hands automatically, like it was as normal as breathing. When Peter noticed this, he smiled happily at his boyfriend and murmured, “From now on I want end every birthday like this, with you.”

Wade’s lips trembled but he smiled widely and agreed, “Yes.” He gripped Peter’s hand tighter and leaned into his shoulder. Peter tilted his head up to accept a kiss and, as their lips met, his heart felt so full of love that it was overflowing into the rest of his body with its warmth.

On the way to his room, they kissed almost lazily. In the elevator, Wade pressed him into the wall and kissed his neck with unhurried lips. In the penthouse, Peter would randomly tug Wade to a full stop just to steal a quick but standstill chaste kiss. And finally, in his room, Wade cupped his face and kiss him similarly to when they first started dating, like he was the most precious thing on the planet…which was probably true for Wade because it was so for Peter.

They stripped as slowly as they kissed and made love at just as a slow of pace. There was no hurry between them. As they gazed into each other’s eyes, they both wordlessly shared in their love and the knowledge that this was forever.

They could take it slow because they were going to have each other for the rest of their lives.

Peter fell asleep in Wade’s embrace thinking that he’d be waking to Wade’s face tomorrow and all the other tomorrows to come.

\---

Instead, Peter woke alone to darkness.

He didn’t know what was going on at first. He woke up as he was getting out of bed. He was still groggy with sleep so he didn’t understand _why_ he was getting out of bed.

He sleepily went to return to the bed…but found himself unable.

His body wouldn’t move.

Peter inhaled sharply in response but the sound didn’t escape his mouth.

That was when he recognized the all too familiar grip of Venom over his mouth and constricting his body.

Pure terror instantly raced through him.

_How_??

_It was dead_! He saw Vision throw it into the _sun_!

Peter tried to throw himself out of the hold but he didn’t move. He tried to scream but Venom clutched his throat before he let out a noise.

Wade continued to sleep and breathe evenly, completely unaware that Peter was being strangled right next to him.

Even Friday didn’t notice and the AI was always watching. Venom was probably disguising itself just as it had disguised itself as his shirt.

Venom let go of his throat and Peter inhaled deeply through his nose as Venom still hadn’t let go of his mouth. He felt dizzy from lack of oxygen.

His body moved forward as he tried to blink back his blurring vision. Only when he realized he was moving again did his heart rate begin to race.

_No, no, no, no_!!!!

_Wade_!

He tried to turn but Venom was too strong.

He moved slowly and his feet dragged as he left his room. He was still trying to catch his breath and his thoughts were trying to race through his murky oxygen deprived mind to find a solution.

When he went down the hallway, he caught a glance of himself in the mirror. He looked completely normal expect his eyes. His eyes were his own: large, scared, and unblinking.

Venom had evolved. It could not change its color. What else could it do?

But, most importantly, why did it want Peter?

Peter jolted to a stop as soon as he stepped into the living room. Across the room, his parents were in the connected kitchen.

They were whispering excitedly to each other as they loaded leftovers into the fridge. His dad spotted him first and whispered in a raised voice to Peter, “Sorry! We didn’t mean to wake you!”

Steve chuckled and said, “We have more food than fridges!”

“ _Wait_!” Tony gasped excitedly, sticking his head back into the open doors. He explained, “Bruce has a mini fridge in his lab! We can stuff some of those zucchini bites in there!! He’ll eat those!” Tony pulled out a wrapped up plate and kissed Steve’s cheek as he stepped past him. Tony smiled at Peter and said, “When I get back we should all share another slice of cake! Be right back!” Tony waved to them as he disappeared down the hall.

Steve stuck his head back into the fridge and asked him, “Do you want anything else to eat?”

Venom crawled uneasily over his skin.

It made no reply. Did that mean the symbiote couldn’t replicate his voice?

Hope burned through the cold fear in his chest. Steve would notice his silence. He’d know something was wrong.

Surprisingly, the symbiote made him move forward.

When Peter didn’t reply, Steve straightened and closed the doors to the fridge. He looked to Peter questioningly and murmured, “Pete?”

Peter came to a stop facing the sliding glass door to the balcony. His eyes were not on the cityscape but the reflection of his stepfather as he exited the kitchen and walked over to Peter.

Was Venom going to try to escape outside? Why was it making no move to open the door?? Did Steve notice something was wrong yet??

_Notice me, Steve_!

“Everything alright, Peter?” Steve asked, stepping beside him.

Peter turned to Steve and, when their eyes met, Peter saw Steve’s gaze hone immediately on the fear in Peter’s.

Internally, Peter’s mind was screaming for Steve to help him.

Alarmed concern flashed over Steve’s features and Peter wanted to cry in relief.  

Steve grasped his arm and gasped, “Peter, wha –?”

Suddenly, Peter found himself embracing Steve.

And then Steve jerked as Venom stabbed him with hundreds on tendrils just like it had done with Wade. Steve slumped in his hold and slowly warm blood started to soak into Peter’s clothes.

It happened so fast Peter could barely process what had happened. It was only when he felt the blood that he realized what Venom had done.

Steve’s arms tightened around Peter despite his wounds and he gasped, “C-Code Silver.”

Whatever that meant made Friday set off the priority alarm and the security shutters began to lower.

Venom no longer attempted to keep up its disguise and its black mass appeared as it tried to push away. Steve grunted but held onto Peter. Steve gritted through clenched, red teeth and hissed, “ _You_ …will not get my son!”

Venom immediately retracted the tendrils and stabbed him again. Steve hollered in pain but he did not let him go even as more blood flowed over Peter.

He could barely see Steve’s fortified expression through his tears but he knew his stepfather. Steve would not let him go until he was dead. Which was more than likely going to happen and there was _nothing_ Peter could do to stop Venom from accomplishing it.

Steve was always there for him from the beginning. He was the one who convinced Tony to reach out to Peter. He was the one who convinced Peter to give his dad a chance. He listened to Peter…Steve consoled him, protected him, and loved him like he was his son. Peter knew Steve would do anything for him, _including_ die and that was the last thing Peter wanted.

_With great power comes great responsibility_ , his Uncle Ben’s voice rumbled from the past.

Venom was his responsibility and if Peter did nothing his pops was going to die for naught.

Feeling more afraid than he ever did in his life, Peter knew there was only one thing he could do.

Peter stopped fighting Venom and joined Venom in pushing Steve away and, with their combined power, they escaped the super soldier’s grip.

Steve fell back.

Peter didn’t see if he got back up as Venom had him hurdling out the glass door right before the security shutters sealed him in. 

\---

As soon as he heard the alarm, Tony dropped the zucchini and raced to his lab and jumped in his suit. Once inside, he demanded, “What happened?!”

“Your husband sounded the Code Silver alarm,” Friday stated and Tony’s blood ran cold.

He gasped, “W-who?” Code Silver meant one of the Avengers was in mortal danger or held hostage. Friday was not being forthcoming so Tony demanded, “It’s not Steve, is it?!”

The suit closed around Tony and he went to the exterior exit door to blast outside to get to the penthouse quicker. Friday replied, “It is hard to determine. I cannot determine who is the Code –.” The AI’s voice jolted to a stop and then it stated with certainty, “It is Peter. It looks as if Venom has him.”

A sickening fear clutched his insides.

_Not again._

When Tony got outside and flew up, Friday stated, “Venom has escaped the perimeter with Peter and Steve requires medical assistance.”

Tony reached the penthouse but the shutters were in place. Tony demanded, “Let me in!!”

As the shutters slowly rose, the broken glass was first revealed…and then the blood.

Tony broke through the remaining glass before the shutters were fully up.

His eyes focused on his husband, laying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. Wade was there, breathing shallowly, but applying pressure to the worst of Steve’s wounds. Tony fell out of his suit and put his hands on Steve too.

“Oh my God,” Tony gasped. He’d never seen Steve so injured or so pale. He was unconscious and Tony desperately whispered to him, “Steve? Steve, baby, wake up.”

“Wh-Where’s Peter?” Wade gasped to Tony. Tony felt his emotions seesaw right there. His husband was dying right in front of him but what about his son??

Their front door exploded open and half the team caught up and barreled into the room. Somebody cursed and they rushed forward. Everyone was worrying over Steve and Wanda’s pink magic encircled him, applying pressure where they couldn’t. Everyone converged on Tony, demanding answers about Steve and what had happened.

“What happened to Steve?”

“Who did this?”

“Are they still on site?”

“WHERE IS PETER?!” Wade screamed over all of their voices. They all turned to the mercenary and, with his eyes overflowing, Wade painfully gasped, “ _Where is he_?”


	17. Sunday, August 21st

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I’m sorry for the long hiatus. Since I last posted, I had been badly injured in a car accident and then my brother survived the Las Vegas shooting. Needless to say, my family and I went through a lot of emotional upheaval and I’m just now getting back to my writing.  
> My brother and I are doing well, and I should be able to start posting regularly again. Thank you for your patience! Now enjoy the new chapter! :)

Steve never before had experienced the all-encompassing pain he was in...it was even worse than his plane crash in the Arctic. 

Every inch of his body felt like it’d been pierced by Venom’s tendrils.

However, he barely noted it with the tremendous emotional pain of having Peter ripped out of his arms constricting his heart.

Steve woke with this knowledge, knowing a lot of time must have passed since he last saw Peter’s retreating figure, and he slowly opened his eyes, afraid of what he was going to see…

The world around him was glowing and, for a moment, his first thought was that he was dead and this was heaven. But, after blinking a few times, he realized it was one of Tony’s holograms. The entire city was laid out around him and he was laying in the projection of the Hudson River. A ferry boat floated over his knee and Steve watched it go by in confusion.

“T-Tony?” Steve asked, trying to sit up more from his obtuse position. His wounds pulled and he fell back into the bed with a groan.

The hologram instantly disappeared and his husband rushed over to him. Tony’s hair was wild, his eyes large, and his face was pale. There were tears in his eyes by the time he reached Steve’s bedside and a hitch in his breath. Tony looked like he wanted to embrace him tightly but instead lightly grasped Steve’s hand in lieu of his injuries.

One look at him and Steve knew Peter was still lost but he had to confirm, “ _Peter_?”

Tony collapsed slightly, like the very mention of their son’s name threatened to break him. Tony pressed the back of Steve’s hand to his face, his hands shaking, as he hunched over their diminutive connection.

Steve felt his own eyes tearing up by Tony’s reaction.

“What happened?” Steve rasped, his throat growing tighter with his growing emotions. “Where’s Peter? Is…Is he –?” Steve didn’t want to voice it. By God, he didn’t want to even think about the worst-case scenario.

But he had to know.

“Peter is missing. We have no idea where he is or…or what that _thing_ is doing to him,” Tony whispered, his voice strained from his suffocating grief, and his face was still pressed to Steve’s hand like he couldn’t meet his eyes.

Steve went to sit up again and hissed, “Is there any –?”

He groaned and collapsed as a fresh wave of pain rushed through his body. Tony’s head snapped up and he hovered worriedly over Steve. He lightly pushed Steve back into the bed and gasped, “ _Don’t_ _move_! If it weren’t for the serum you would’ve died! As it is, you freaking almost died from _bleeding_ _out_!”

Steve let himself sink into the bed and met Tony’s emotional gaze. Steve’s pain dwindled but Tony’s emotional pain only seemed to grow. Tony finally snapped, “ _Do you know how many puncture wounds you had_? You had more holes than a Goddamn sponge!”

Steve winced from the harshness of his voice and felt guilty for having put it there. He wanted to argue that he did it for Peter…that Tony would have done so too but then Tony sat beside him on the bed and cradled Steve’s hand on his lap. Tony looked so fragile. The tough exterior he always wore was gone and Steve realized he’d done that to him. As he thought about it, he realized he had never had gotten so hurt like this and he would probably be in the same state if it had been Tony in his place…Tony not only lost Peter…he nearly lost Steve too.

Steve’s heart clenched and he whispered, “I’m sorry…”

Tony noisily sniffed and whispered, “You…You don’t have to apologize…You survived, Steve. I just thought – When I first saw you, I thought…you wouldn’t…and it felt like I was bleeding out on the floor with you…”

“I’m sorry, babe,” Steve whispered, emotion clogging his voice now as he shared in Tony’s past torment.

Tony turned to him and whispered, “Stop apologizing, dummy.” He bent down and pressed a needy kiss onto Steve’s mouth which Steve greedily accepted. Steve cupped the back of his neck to pull him in closer. Tony broke their kiss gasping, “Kissing you never felt so good as it does now.” He leaned back in and hungrily kissed Steve again, exploring Steve’s mouth like it was the first time all over again. Steve returned the kiss with a similar feeling, reminding the man he loved that he was alive and they were still together.

Ultimately, their kisses slowed to a stop and Tony rested his head against Steve’s chest, listening to his heart beat steadily in his chest.

Steve let him lay there for a few moments but, eventually, he stated, “…The hologram I saw…when I woke, you were searching the city for him…weren’t you?” Steve so badly wanted to comfort him more but they needed to keep on track. Peter needed them and they needed to focus on their son and not their own turmoil…

“I dispatched every suit – _every piece of technology I own with a camera_ – on the streets to give me a live view of the city to help in the search for him from here…” Tony whispered, “I wanted to be out there but I…I couldn’t leave you…”

Steve squeezed Tony’s hand and whispered, “I am alive, you don’t need to worry about me anymore. We need to worry about Peter now…”

“ _I know, I know_! I just…” Tony gripped Steve’s hand tightly and his shoulders drooped. He whispered, “I thought you were going to die in my arms and ever since you stabilized….” Tony his face into the center of Steve’s chest where his heartbeat was strongest. Tony whispered into his shirt, “One moment I was carrying a tray of zucchinis and feeling like the happiest man on the planet…and the next…Peter was gone and you – _you_ lost _so_ _much_ blood, _Steve_. I thought I’d lose you too… _I thought I’d lose you, Steve_.”

Tony looked up at Steve with large, wet eyes that broke his heart with the amount of pain within them. Steve carefully shifted onto his side and pulled Tony into his embrace. Steve couldn’t even begin to imagine finding Tony on the verge of death. He promised, “I’ll never leave you like that, Tony…”

“I know,” Tony murmured, his voice cracking as he nestled his face deeper into Steve’s chest.

Steve pressed a kiss onto Tony’s head and lightly caressed circles into his back. Tony took a long, settling breath and then whispered, “I love you so much…”

“And I love you,” Steve stated gently. “You are my everything.”

Tony picked up his head and cupped Steve’s cheek. Steve dipped his head and kissed his husband. Tony’s hands tightened on him, as if to preserve the moment for as long as possible.

Finally, Tony broke their kiss and said, “We need to find Peter.”

Steve nodded and he cupped Tony’s face as he agreed, “Let’s find our son.”

The sorrow left Tony’s eyes as determination settled in. He sat up and, with a wave of his hand, the city opened up around them. He then hit a button and Steve’s bed began to rise, moving him into a sitting position. They were in the Hudson again but the ferryboat was long gone. Steve’s eyes panned over the city and he saw the dotted indicators for the Avengers’ locations. Tony stated, “The entire team is mobilized and searching as are the X-Men, SHIELD, and all of our friends and allies…but he’s disappeared.” Tony’s voice grew more morose as he stated, “We’ve turned up no clues as to where he’s gone…he might not even be in the city anymore or worse…he might – he might be…”

Tony’s lips trembled and Steve grasped his hand tightly. He vehemently stated, “ _Peter is alive_ and we _will_ find him.”

Tony nodded and whispered, “Coulson says he’s been missing too long. He says we need to involve the local government agencies in the search now…As it is, people know something major is up with everything I have in the air around the city…The news organizations are going crazy with their theories…But Coulson thinks it will help.”

“He wants us to report Peter as missing to the police,” Steve murmured with understanding.

“And thereby tell the entire world to get more eyes looking for him…” Tony sighed. “Coulson doesn’t think he’s even in New York any more…”

“Why haven’t you done it yet?”

Tony’s eyes looked past the projection of Manhattan and the East River to the borough of Queens and whispered, “We need to tell May. I don’t want her to find out from the media…”

“You haven’t called her yet?” Steve gasped.

Tony shook his head and said, “She hates me. She shouldn’t hear it from me and you were unconscious so…She and Wade get along…and Wade volunteered to go tell her personally.” Steve looked to Queens and saw a red dot, indicating Wade’s location. Tony continued, “Friday will contact the authorities as soon as he reaches her…”

Steve spared that red dot a few more seconds of his gaze and then he turned his eyes back to the Manhattan. He took in all the different colored dots moving around the city that each represented their team members and friends and then commanded, “Friday, update me on everyone’s missions, show me Peter’s last known location, and then connect me to the team.”

Tony smiled warmly at him and whispered, “Welcome back, Cap.”

\---

Wade hadn’t been able to sleep a wink. He and the rest of the Avengers spent the night searching the city to no avail. Venom could be anywhere by now. They were too slow. The trail had grown cold and now they were looking for a needle in a haystack the size of the world…Wade had lost him…

Peter was gone.

If Wade had woken up when Peter had needed him, he would have been able to grab a hold of him and stop Venom like he had last time.

Instead, Wade slept peacefully as Peter was ripped from his side.

The others noted his deposition, the horror of the situation was weighing him down, and it was decided that Wade was to be given the less laborious task of being the messenger. Wade didn’t blame them…but he wished he didn’t have to bring this to May either…

He took a taxi to her place and the driver kept a wary eye on him the entire time. He was barefoot and still wearing the undershirt and shorts he fell asleep in that were now covered in the dried blood of Peter’s stepfather. Clint had been with him and it was probably the archer’s universally recognizable face from being a part of the original Avengers that assisted in getting Wade his ride.

He had no idea how he was going to tell May that Peter was missing and had been taken by an alien symbiote which had nearly killed _Captain_ _America_ of all people.

Wade tightly clutched his leg, wishing he didn’t have to break that sweet woman’s heart.

Wade’s own heart meanwhile was so broken that its pain was seemingly infinite.

“Where are you, baby boy?” Wade whispered with yearning and looked out the window as if he’d see Peter suddenly jump out from behind something.

Wade paid the cabbie off with the card Clint had given him and the man drove off before Wade completely shut the door. He turned back to the Parker brownstone with slight trepidation.

Wade subconsciously looked down at himself, wishing he had changed before seeing her. His state of dress was going to make this so much more worse…

In his ear, Stark chirped, “Am I good to make my report yet?”

“I just got here,” Wade grumbled, slowly walking up to the front door.

“Don’t let her go online until you’re done talking to her then,” Peter’s father grumbled right back. He sighed heavily and said, “We need to get more eyes out there, Wade…”

Wade sighed too and murmured, “Yeah, do it…I got this…”

“Alright…and thank you, Wade…”

He paused before the front door and lifted his hand to knock but paused again before rapping on the hard wood.

His heart began to hammer in his chest as he heard May’s light footsteps cross her rickety wood flooring. She opened the door with a smile that fell almost as soon as her eyes took him in.

“ _Oh_ , _my_ _goodness_! Wade? What happened? Are you alright?” She gasped, pulling him into the house.

“May…I’m fine. You – you should sit down,” Wade murmured, leading her to the nearest sofa. Pictures were splattered all over the living room and Wade kept his head downcast to avoid all the angles of Peter’s once smiling face.

[ _You could have saved him_ ,] one of the voices viciously reminded him.

“What happened?” May asked sharply, fear already eroding its way into her voice. She sat down heavily on the larger couch and gasped, “Where’s Peter?!”

Wade sat beside her and grasped her hand, whispering, “I wish I knew…He’s gone, May…He was t-taken last n-night.” Wade’s last words shuddered and, in a smaller voice, Wade whispered, “I’m sorry…I know I’m supposed to be strong for you but…” Wade leaned into the older woman and she wrapped comforting arms around him even though he could tell she needed just as much comfort by the way her heartbeat rose. She needed to know what happened. He needed to be strong for her and Peter…so he forced himself out of her embrace and made himself sit up.

Wade held her hands and haltingly explained what happened to Peter. Her grip was surprisingly strong and was the only sign to him that she was just as scared for Peter as him as it tightened exponentially through his account. Her expression was immobile and stout, and Wade felt comforted by it. If she could be strong, even when her world was on the verge of being destroyed, then so could Wade.

“Peter’s a smart boy,” May stated, tightening their clasped hands despite the tremor in hers. “If he’s outwitted this thing before then he can do it again. We just need to have faith in him.”

Wade nodded. She was right. Peter was one of the smartest people he knew. He’d find some way to escape Venom or, at least, find a way to notify the Avengers of his location. He just had to believe in him, wherever he was…

\---

The first thing Peter noticed were the birds chirping.

He shifted in his bed, wanting to doze a little longer. The fact that he could hear birds and that he was laying on the same pillow he used since a kid told him he was at his Aunt May’s. Soon, he’d hear her moving in the kitchen and preparing breakfast for the both of them.

He woke slowly, enjoying his dream as it gently fragmented into nothing.

He opened his eyes to the plain white ceiling of his bedroom. He sat up and took in the usual clutter of his room. He reached to his side, feeling for Wade, but his hand met nothing. Peter looked to the spot in surprise. Hadn’t he fallen asleep with Wade?

…And hadn’t he fallen asleep at the Tower in _Manhattan_?

That’s when he noticed the dried blood on his arm and it all came rushing back to him.

 _Venom_.

He looked down and saw the black mass moving around his torso.

It hadn’t been a nightmare.

It’d been real and _Steve_ -!?

His eyes refocused on the blood coating his arms and torso. _That was Steve’s blood._

He heard the floorboards squeak the floor below as May moved around and he heard the soft murmur of her voice. Peter backed to his wall, as far away from his bedroom door as possible, to keep May as safe as he could.

Why did Venom bring them there!?

“ _Safe_ ,” Venom’s voice hissed into his ear.

Peter jerked around, half expecting the symbiote to be standing behind him. Peter was alone and the symbiote was still on his person…Peter was just hearing its voice like it was right there…not behind him but…but maybe…Peter gulped…in his head?

After Venom’s first attack, Bruce had said they thought the symbiote was trying to fuse with Peter. Did-Did it try and succeed this time? Peter felt sick and wanted to rip the symbiote off him like the leech it was at that moment.

“ _Safeeee_ ,” Venom’s slimy voice reminded him, sending an unpleasant shiver down his spine.

His home at Aunt May’s was once his safe harbor. Did the alien really think Peter would feel safe here _with_ _it_?!

“Get off me,” Peter whispered, digging his fingers into the black mass. “I don’t want _you_! You nearly killed me! _You_ –!” His heart lurched as he remembered what he did to Steve.

Peter’s heart felt like it was being wrenched out of his chest as he wondered at the older man’s survival.

There’d been _so_ _much_ blood.

Venom tightened around him and hissed, “ _Must stay safeeee_.”

Peter fell back onto this bed, trying to be as silent as possible as he pulled and struggled with the symbiote. He didn’t want to alert May to his presence because she may come upstairs to investigate and get herself skewered like Steve had.

There wasn’t as much of the black mass as there was last time. What remained of Venom was barely enough to snake around his torso a few times. Maybe, _just_ _maybe_ , he could break free before it snaked around his limbs again.

“Get off!” Peter hissed, “I don’t want you! Why won’t you just leave me!? The Avengers _won’t_ ever stop looking for me!”

“ _Can’t_ ,” Venom hissed back. “ _Can’t survive without youuu_.”

Peter paused in his struggles and then countered, “Then how did you survive without me in the first place??”

Half the team looked Peter over and all of them assured him with varying degrees of science and magic that the symbiote was totally gone! 

“ _Brock_.”

It took Peter a few seconds to process the symbiote’s words and, as he realized his friend’s betrayal, the treachery gripped his heart in a tight vice. Peter renewed his struggles but it was with a constant pain in his chest.

Why would Eddie do that to him??

“Get off!” Peter grit between his clenched teeth, “ _Get_ –!”

Downstairs there was another murmur, a different voice, and Peter froze.

He’d recognize that voice _anywhere_.

 _Wade_.

Alone, Peter couldn’t get rid of the symbiote but with Wade and the others…

Peter inhaled sharply but, before he could exhale a shout, Venom shot half its body mass at his face and smothered his voice and he fell back onto the bed with a heavy thud. Peter limbs were fully freed with Venom’s sudden jump to his head and he quickly flailed them, knocking over his lamp and a few books off his end table. The thuds seemed as loud as gunfire and Peter paused in his struggling to see if anyone noticed.

It was quiet downstairs and, for one fearful moment Peter thought they hadn’t heard, but then Wade called out, “Who’s up there?”

Peter kicked over his nightstand and he heard Wade hiss to May, “Go to your neighbors’ and call the police!”

Wade sprinted up the stairs, his footfalls loud from his heavy tread. Venom tried to drag him to the window but Peter dug his fingers into the wall and the symbiote shrieked in frustration.

Wade bust down his door, brandishing one of the living room’s floor lamps like a kantana. His eyes immediately focused on Peter and he stumbled back like Peter’s very presence had pushed him. He caught himself on the doorframe and gasped his name like it was his last breath, “ _Peter_!?”

Venom screeched and surged to Wade, leaving Peter staggering after it as he was dragged along. He saw it sharpen its body into dagger points and Peter stumbled to get his feet under. He dug his heels into his rug and it slipped on the hardwood, making him fall back and he jerked Venom back with him.

Peter looked up to his boyfriend, wanting to run away and hug him all at once.

Wade spared no time and lifted his hand to his ear and stated, “ _Peter_ _is_ _here_!”

 _He has a communicator!_ Peter realized with elation. That meant the Avengers would be there in no time and Peter cou –!

“ _NO_!” Venom screeched and Peter felt its tendrils tighten around his body. Peter had enough time to hiss in surprise before being flung out of his window. They fell two stories and his Spidey Sense flared in warning but he had no time to react as he landed on a car. It collapsed and shattered glass sprinkled the air.

He heard someone scream and then another person swear further away and then he was surrounded by worried voices. Peter’s mind was spinning from the impact but the voices drew him out of the tornado of confusion in his consciousness. May lived on a busy street and the violence of his impact drew them all to him.

“ _Hey! Back off! Dibs! Get your own alien hybrid_!” Wade yelled. He must have followed him out of the window. More people yelled out in fear as the mercenary cut through them to get to Peter.

Peter tried to sit up, his entire body protesting from the impact. Venom’s tendrils, wildly jumped around him and whatever people that were around him backed away with shouts of frightened exclamation upon sighting the alien.

Wade was still brandishing his lamp poll but he held it defensively between them. Venom’s reach was only as far as Peter’s now and it held its tendrils between them, ready to attack at any moment.

“Wade, baby, you don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Peter gasped, trying to catch his breath. His left shoulder was busted and, with every heartbeat, its pain grew. Peter, however, was all eyes for his boyfriend.

Wade smiled crookedly at him and murmured, “The feeling is mutual, baby boy.”

“ _SILENCE_!” The alien screeched and Peter caught a glimpse of its fanged face on one of the thicker tendrils before it jabbed forward.

Wade knocked the tendril aside and taunted, “Venom, Sweetie, mommy and daddy are talking right now, please don’t interrupt.”

Peter choked on a chuckle and Wade smiled jovially at him.

Peter looked around them. His Aunt May was thankfully nowhere in sight and most of the street had cleared as soon as Venom made its appearance. Some foolhardy people stayed behind to film on their phones, using a car or post as a barrier between them.

Peter looked back to Wade and whispered, “Is Steve alright? I didn’t…I didn’t kill him, did I?”

“He survived,” Wade assured him.

Peter couldn’t stop his lip from wobbling as his elation pushed a surge of relief and joy through him.

Venom took that moment to jump out at Wade with a screeching fury. It stayed connected to Peter by just one wrist and jerked him forward in its attack, wrenching Peter’s shoulder even more.

Wade reacted immediately and got the metal pole between himself and Venom’s large jaws. Wade’s muscles bulged as he pushed back at the strength of Venom’s bite but the monster still raked him with its long claws, dragging large amounts of blood from his boyfriend.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Peter hissed and tugged the symbiote back. Peter fell back from the inertia but he was able to get it away from Wade. They crumbled together on the ground.

His and Wade’s eyes met and they grinned at each other. This Venom was smaller and weaker than the original. With Wade helping him, and soon the Avengers as well, Peter was positive he’d soon be out of the alien’s clutches again –.

“ _NO_!” Venom screeched and pounced on Peter, flattening him to the ground by wrapping its tendrils around his throat. Without any warning, it slammed his skull into the pavement.

Peter stupidly wondered why his Spidey-Sense did not go off as his mind dizzily spun and his hold on the symbiote slipped. Venom hovered over him and hissed, “Separation means death and death will be the only thing to part us.”

\---

Tony pressed Steve back into the bed for a second time and commanded, “STAY!”

“ _But_ _Peter_ –!?” Steve hissed.

“You will only hurt yourself,” Tony countered and cautiously stepped back from Steve’s bedside. His husband made no move to rise again so Tony continued his cautious steps backwards to where his suit was waiting for him. Tony continued, “If you go out there, not only will you endanger yourself but you’ll be a distraction to me and the rest of the team. _We got this, Steve_.”

The hologram of the city was gone and now it was May’s street glowing around them. Peter’s body suddenly came flying out of his bedroom window and both men paused to see if their son was alright. With the tiniest sign of movement from Peter, Tony felt spurned on to run to his suit. As soon as it closed around him, Steve whispered, “Bring him home safe.”

Tony nodded and blasted out of the lab.

The rest of the team was on their way, each member would be arriving separately from their various locations and Tony, in his speed suit with supersonic thrusters, was going to be the first to arrive.

Steve was in his ear, keeping him apprised of the situation as Wade and Venom faced off.

May’s home was only 13 miles from the Tower and it only took him minutes to reach the location in his suit.

But _so_ _much_ happened in that little patch of time…

He arrived just as Venom turned its ire from Wade to Peter. Wade dropped the metal pole he’d been fighting with and launched himself at the symbiote as it wrapped its tendrils around Peter’s neck and slammed his head against the pavement. Peter’s head bounced like a rubber ball and blood sprinkled the ground.

Tony flew toward him without any second thoughts and did not even hear Steve’s warning hiss in his ear as he exclaimed, “ _Tony_ –!”

Peter was hurt – _bleeding_ – and Tony had to stop that monster before it could hurt his son anymore.

Wade was already pulling at the largest portion of the black mass and Tony grabbed his own portion. Out of the darkness, a face of nightmares turned to them, smiling with fangs like that of an animated crocodile.

“ _TONY_!” Steve screamed over the communicator, “ _GET AWAY FROM IT BEFO –_!”

Venom’s body exploded stabbing into Wade and Tony before Steve could finish his warning.

Tony thought his armor would hold but alarms blared in his ears and the red emergency notifications blanked his screens with warnings, obstructing most of his sight of the outside. The emergency systems activated, enabling Friday to blast him away from the danger. At first, Tony thought only the suit had been damaged. His adrenaline was pumping so high that he felt nothing wrong.

Something blanketed his throat and he coughed to clear it and blood splattered his screens. He was hurt…hurt bad…

“Mr. Stark, you need to fall back to the nearest hospital,” Friday stated.

“Tony –!? Tony, baby, answer me!” Steve’s voice gasped, his voice frantically louder than the AI’s.

Tony’s attention, however, was not on himself, it was still on Peter. Wade was still holding onto him despite the vicious attack the symbiote was pelting him with.

There was no Hulk room to contain it here. They had to get it off Peter now or risk it slipping away again with his son.

He took a step toward them and wobbled as his body tried to work through whatever damage Venom had wrought. He gasped to his husband, “He’s right there, Steve.”

His vision dipped into darkness for a second and, in that moment, he remembered the first time his son smiled at him. It had been tentative and uncertain but it had been directed solely at Tony. It was the first sign to him that Peter was willing to make a connection and place his cautious trust in his birthfather.

He couldn’t lose that – _lose_ _Peter_. He had missed out on so much of his son’s life already and there was no way in hell he was going to sit back and watch it end before it really began.

Tony plowed forward and told Friday, “Silence all alarms and notifications on the suit’s condition and my health.”

The alarms and red coded messages were gone in an instant and he could think a little clearer.  Steve’s voice, though, remained.

“ _Baby_ , Friday is sending me your readings. You need to stop what you are doing now! _Please_ ,” Steve begged, his voice sounded physically and emotionally ragged.

“You got out of bed, didn’t you?” Tony deflected, dragging himself back to the struggling pair. Wade was impaled but refused to let go and Venom was trying its damnedest to get him off of it.

“You are _Goddamn_ right I got out of bed!” Steve angrily retorted, “If you won’t go to the hospital then I will go to Queens and drag you there myself!”

“Language, Cap,” Tony dryly chuckled. Steve’s tongue only loosened when he was really upset and, from experience, Tony was really the only one to bring it out of the super soldier.

“ _Tony_!” Steve gasped, his voice rough with emotion. “Vision and Wanda will be there in another minute. Let them handle this. _Please, Tony, please_.”

Tony looked at Peter, barely conscious and flopping like a ragdoll. He whispered to his husband, “He’s right in front of me, Steve…I ca – can’t…”

“ _Please, Tony._ ”

Tony could feel his resolve crumbling. Steve never spoke to him like this before…He never begged, dragging out “ _please_ ” like it was being wretched out of his very soul.

But this was _Peter_.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” Tony gasped. “Friday cut off connection.”

“ _TONY_ –!” Steve exclamation was cut off and Tony wobbled like he cut off a lifeline.

\---

“The Avengers are coming! _You – can’t – get – awayyyy_! Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Wade dragged out his words as the symbiote dragged him roughly against the pavement. The symbiote was desperate to get away but Wade refused to let go. Its initial attack had knocked off Stark but Wade would withstand any pain for Peter. The alien had to kill him first and death herself still hadn’t found a way to do it so it was going to have an impossible fight on its gooey black hands.

But Peter, his baby boy, was hurt bad. Venom must have been trying to immobilize him to make its escape easier when it bashed his head in. It probably had done the same the night before…He was just barely conscious and the only signs of consciousness came from the way one of Peter’s hands held onto his arm and whenever he’d randomly whisper his name.

“Wade,” Peter sighed. The hushed voice was like a siren, spurning Wade into action. He placed a protective hand on Peter’s head and then with the other violently pulled down on his body, throwing his boyfriend onto the hard ground.

Peter’s eyes popped open and he exclaimed in pain.

“Sorry, baby boy, I had to stop it before it dragged us too far,” Wade gasped, the blood dripping from his mouth muddled his words. He looked over his shoulder and couldn’t even see May’s home anymore but Iron Man was limping over to them.

As Peter opened his eyes and took him in, he knew he must have looked bad by the horror in his lover’s eyes. His body was a mess of punctures and he had a few of Venom’s tendrils inside of him, destroying his insides like vengeful worms. His lungs were torn up and flapping uselessly in his chest, making his breathing sound like sand in an exhaust pipe.

“Oh, my God,” Peter gasped, clutching him tighter. “Wade –?! What did it do to you?! _And_ -! My dad?! Where’s my dad?”

“H-He’s p-p-pl-laying catch up,” Wade assured him but his haggard voice drew Peter’s worried eyes back to him.

He had no chance to voice his concerns as the symbiote dug its claws into the pavement and began to drag them away again. Peter hissed as his back scrapped against the ground bearing both his and Wade’s weight. He let go of Wade and dug his fingers into the black mass, wrapped around his chest, growling, “ _Get_ – _off_ – _me_!”

A shadow fell over them and Wade couldn’t help but ironically wonder what additional horror just came up to them. Iron Man couldn’t have possibly caught up to them by now. Was this the shadow of some dastardly villain, wanting to finish them off while they were detained by Venom? At this point, the entire country had to know what was happening with the number of cell phones capturing what was happening. The crazies could run just as fast as the authorities. It’d be Wade’s luck that this would happen…He looked over his shoulder to the shadow caster and all of his apprehension vanished when he saw Vision and Wanda coming to a hovering stop above them.

“It appears you two need some assistance,” Vision murmured. He remained floating above them but Wanda landed on the ground, floating in her pink aura of magic to land gently on the pavement. She pointed her creepy hang loose hands at them and pulled Wade off Peter with her magic.

Wade wanted to protest but her magic also lifted Peter off the ground, stopping Venom in its escape. He could see her magic poking and pulling at the symbiote and he went quiet. He grinned shakily at the two Avengers and settled down with a happy groan.

“Wanda?” Vision questioned, floating to her side and putting a supporting hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head and gasped, “It has Peter’s essence inside it. I still can’t separate them.”

Wade sat up straighter and he gasped, “Wh-What?! Is that thing stuck on him??”

Peter picked up his head and hissed, “ _What-_??”

Wanda shook her head and assured them, “It’s the same as last time…We’ll probably be able to get it off the same way.”

Vision nodded and stated, “Then you’ll have to hold them both until we get back to the Tower.”

Wanda strengthened her stance and nodded.

Venom screeched and expanded its body, trying to find a way to break free. No matter how far it stretched nor how sharp it made its tendrils, it could not break free from Wanda’s magic. 

Peter dropped his head and relaxed into the magic’s hold as he gasped, “ _Thank_ _God_ …”

“More like thank _you_ , Princess Glitter Fingers,” Wade laughed, smiling at the girl with what must had been a gross, bloody grin but his elation was so strong that he couldn’t help but smile.

Wanda laughed, “More than happy to help.”

“Peter!?”

Wade turned around to see Peter’s father fall to his knee. He was clearly struggling to breathe by the way he was gasping. Wade lurched to get up but Vision was by Tony’s side in seconds. He helped support him and stated, “The Captain says you are to be escorted to the closest hospital, no exceptions.”

“But Peter – ?” Tony gasped, looking to his son.

“I’m fine, dad! Just got a pounding headache and a rather large leech on me but Wanda has me so I’ll be okay!” Peter assured him. “You can fret over me as much as you want once you’re checked out and I am free of the symbiote.”

Venom had been trying to escape in vain and everyone had been ignoring it. Yet, with Peter’s words it froze and slowly sunk back to his chest. Wade watched it sink with a grin. It looked like the alien finally realized it was beat.

Venom, nevertheless, was doing no such thing.

It turned its demonic gaze on Peter and hissed with anger, “Separation means death. _Do you want death_???” Wade’s heart dropped and Peter’s eyes widened a fraction in surprise and, in those few seconds, the symbiote attacked. It screeched in vengeance, “If _I cannot_ survive, then neither should _you_!”

None of them had a chance to react other than inhale sharply. Wanda raised her hands, her fingers quickly shifting – and…

The figures in her spelled cloud froze.

But Venom was moving so fast.

Wade scrambled to his feet and stumbled toward the pink cloud. He kept his eyes locked on his boyfriend with his barely healed heart hammering so hard it was going to pop a blood vessel, and gasped, “I-Is he okay!? Did you stop it??”

“I can’t unfreeze Peter without unfreezing it!” Wanda hissed, her arms trembling from the force of her magic. Peter was frozen with the look of shock marring his features whilst Venom looked like a demon of rage on the war path. Its mouth was open in a silent scream and it looked like it was close to biting Peter’s head off. What was most concerning to Wade, however, were the tendrils. A few looked to have pierced Peter though most had frozen just shy of his skin. _How badly was he hurt??_

_No, not my baby boy!_

He knew the feel of Venom’s jabs and the damage they wrought. Hell, he was still recovering from the latest punctures but, never in a million years, did he think the symbiote to turn on Peter like that! Hyperventilating, Wade fell forward, just catching himself with his hands and gasped, “Baby boy?!” Could he hear him?? Venom had torn apart Wade’s insides, had he not had his advanced healing ability, he’d be dead right now.

The fact that Peter did not heal like him was at the forefront of his mind and adding to the kindling of his growing hysteria.

“Don’t go where I can’t follow,” Wade begged of Peter, staring into his frozen, shocked face with half-crazed eyes.

Vision was at Wanda’s side in an instant and he murmured, “We need to get back to the Tower immediately.”

She nodded, gritting her teeth to keep her magic in check.

“T-Take me with you!” Wade hissed, stumbling toward the couple. “I can help like I did last time!”

Vision nodded and wrapped an arm around Wanda’s waist and then held out his free arm to Wade. Wade stumbled into his embrace but never once took his eyes off his boyfriend.

To Tony, Vision stated, “I cannot take you as well but the quinjet will arrive in an estimated 30 seconds.”

“Go!” Tony hissed. “Get my son to the Tower _now_! I’ll be right behind you!”

Vision nodded curtly and then Wade’s entire body was jerked down under the force of Vision’s take off. He blinked a few times as he lost sight of Peter in the jerking surprise but he saw the cloud just as far from Wanda’s reach as they flew through the sky. Peter’s eyes were still blank with shock and Wade prayed to whatever unseen force that was watching all of this unfold that this wasn’t going to be the last expression he’d ever see on his boyfriend’s face.

\---

Eddie had laid still in the soft guest bed as the alarms blared the night prior. He knew it was because of Venom. He didn’t get up and no one came to check on him. He just lay there until it stopped and then closed his eyes and fell back asleep with a heavy, conflicted heart.

No one seemed to remember he was there. He was left to sleep in and woke with a hungry stomach.

As soon as he sat up, the AI stated, “Good Morning, Mr. Brock. Due to a security breach, you will need to stay confined to your room until it is resolved. Would you like me have someone bring you breakfast?”

“…It’s Venom…Isn’t it?” Eddie murmured, looking out the window. Had the symbiote succeeded? Was Peter back in its thrall? Guilt churned in his gut as he remembered Peter telling him he wanted nothing to do with the symbiote…Shame also churned with the guilt but it was not from what he had done to Peter.

He was ashamed by the fact that the symbiote did not need him…

Eddie frowned as his body pulsed with jealousy. No, Venom needed a host and the only two people it was compatible with were Peter and Eddie since they had fused their DNA with it when it was first created. The fact of the matter was, was that symbiote didn’t _want_ him. It said he was too weak, that Peter was a better host…but Peter didn’t even want it…

It wasn’t fair…

“Yes, Venom has returned,” Friday finally replied.

“How’s Peter?”

“…His location is unknown,” Friday stated.

Eddie nodded. Venom did it. There was nothing more for Eddie…He was back to being his weak self. The power he once had the symbiote was lost to him forever.

“Did…Did the Avengers want my input again?” Eddie asked, hoping to hear how Venom was fairing.

“I will inquire,” the AI retorted and then fell silent. Eddie didn’t expect an immediate answer so he raided the room’s mini fridge and then took a shower.

“Mr. Brock, Dr. Banner says he would welcome your input. Shall I direct you to his location?” Friday said as he finished dressing into his mussed clothes.

Eddie met his eyes in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. A stranger stared back at him. He was no longer the same person before Venom. He felt hallowed out and without purpose. Banner wanted his help…but what kind of help would he provide?

…If he helped Venom more…would that make him a villain?

He clenched his jaw to keep his frantic emotions from alerting the AI. He stared into his reflection’s gaze and hardened his heart. It didn’t matter what others would define him as…Eddie was in this for himself.

And he still counted Venom as being a part of him even though they were no longer connected.

“Direct away,” he replied to the AI and nodded to his reflection before stepping out of the room.

\---

Steve had reopened some wounds and was bleeding again and felt a little dizzy because of it, but he ignored it in favor of watching the approaching figures. Vision and his load would be there shortly. His fellow Avenger was growing impossibly larger as he flew quickly toward the Tower. The quinjet was behind them, a speck on the horizon but it too would be there in no time.

Steve’s heart palpitated painfully as he looked between the two.

Tony _and_ Peter were hurt. They were the most important people in his life and Steve hadn’t been able to help them because he was stuck in bed. It was his worst fears coming to life. He was anxious to have them back in the Tower and in close proximity where he could keep a better eye on them…and where SHIELD was amassing their forces, including their staff of medical professionals trained to specifically help the Avengers.

He’d already shooed two doctors away and he ignored their stares. Bedrest could come later. He needed to be there when his family returned and personally check on their wellbeing.

SHIELD agents moved into a defensive formation, holding their nonlethal, electromagnetic firearms up as Vision landed in the open bay. Wade slumped out of his hold and Wanda gently stepped out of his other arm and moved her hands to drag forward Peter’s frozen body. The SHIELD agents immediately pointed their weapons at his son, making Steve clench his fists tightly. He knew they were aiming for the alien and not Peter but it was still upsetting seeing so many sights leveled on Peter.

With such tense muscles in his arms, he suddenly felt warm blood begin to ooze down his arm as another stitch popped.

Vision and the others looked at the gathered force and then to Steve for direction and Steve commanded, “Bring him to the Hulk room.”

Wanda nodded and stepped forward. Vision went to follow but Wade grabbed the corner of his cape and whispered, “Take me with you.”

Vision wordlessly bent down and scooped the larger man into his arms. Vision and the agents moved with Wanda, keeping their guns pointed at the figure floating in front of her.

She moved slowly so was just exiting the room as the quinjet came in for a landing. Steve rushed over to it and caught his husband just as he stumbled out of the vehicle. Tony slid from Clint’s hold to Steve’s with a relieved groan.

His helmet was completely gone and blood was trailing from both corners of his mouth. Steve worriedly cupped his face and then his gaze trailed downward to the damaged suit hiding his husband’s damaged body.

Steve felt sick seeing Tony like this. Steve could survive this. His serum protected him from many mortal injuries. But Tony…his Tony…was so _human_ beyond the barrier of his armor.

“Remind me never again to fly with Clint,” Tony grumbled into his ear. Steve scoffed but adjusted his hold to look the engineer over. Tony’s suit was mostly whole but was severely dented and several punctures dotted where the armor’s weaker joints and suit connections met. Steve reached behind Tony’s neck where the fingerprint scan was to open Tony’s suit for him. Usually the suit would open fluidly without a sound but, as soon as it registered Steve’s fingerprint, it groaned and hissed as it came apart.

 Tony moaned as he fell out of the armor but Steve was there to gently catch him. He adjusted his hold to carry him bridal style and over to the medics waiting for him. Patches of blood covered his body and Steve could feel its sticky warmth bleed into Steve’s clothes.

The sight alone was enough to turn Steve’s blood cold but feeling the blood made his heart freeze over and spurned Steve to jog over to the doctors.

Tony dug his fingers into Steve’s chest and gasped, “Venom hurt Peter, Steve.”

“I know…” Steve whispered. He gently placed Tony on the stretcher and pressed his forehead to Tony’s sweaty one as he reminded him, “It hurt both of you…”

Tony grasped his arm and corrected, “All of us. It hurt all of us but there’s no way in hell we’re going to let it kill any of us…Be there for Peter, Steve. Keep an eye on that monster, don’t let it hurt anyone else.”

Steve nodded stiffly and stepped back to let the medical personnel do their jobs. It took all of Steve’s willpower not to muscle his way back in and hold onto Tony.

Clint stepped beside him as Tony disappeared around the corner and Steve gasped, “Please, tell me he’s going to be alright.”

“Have you ever known Tony to leave us in a hunch?” Clint countered.

Steve nodded in agreement. Tony always came back. He had to believe in his husband…and he had to be there for their son. Peter needed him now, more than ever.

Steve spun around to go to the Hulk Room but moved to fast and lost his vision for a second as his mind spun.

“Woah, there, Cap,” Clint gasped, catching Steve. “Maybe you should lay back down?”

Steve shook his head and straightened, murmuring, “Peter…I need to go to Peter.”

Clint pursed his lips unhappily but he made no move to stop Steve as he pushed himself out of Clint’s hold.

Wanda was slow moving and Steve was able to catch up to her in the hall. Vision hovered behind her worriedly with Wade slumped in his arms and Steve saw the young woman was sweating heavily. How much longer would she be able to keep Peter and Venom frozen like this?

Steve reminded himself that everything would be alright once Peter and Venom were locked away in the Hulk Room. The medical team was onsite and would be able to help Peter if he needed it. But, most importantly, Venom could not escape the Hulk Room at full strength so this smaller one was no match. Peter was going to be freed again…he just wasn’t going to come out of it unscathed and he was definitely going to be in worse shape than last time…

Nonetheless, he was going to survive this. Venom was not going to hurt his son anymore. They accounted for everything and even had SHIELD as backup this time.

What he did not account for, however, was the elevator dinging as it opened in the group’s path and Eddie Brock stepping out…

\---

Wade was trying to will his body to heal faster. The sooner he was healed then he’d sooner be able to help Peter. Once he was able, he pushed himself out of Vision’s hold and he walked next to Peter, refusing anymore help as he moved with his boyfriend and was trapped in his unchanging gaze.

He did not really notice Brock until he heard Wanda inhale sharply and Steve exclaim, “ _No_!”

Wade turned to her in time to see her begin to fall with Brock’s foot in front of hers being the cause of her sudden shift in gravity. The glow around her hands disappeared when she hit the ground. Wade immediately turned back to Peter in time to see the magenta magic encasing him disappear. He too fell…but his body jolted to a stop, inches above the ground. The fall saved Peter from getting his head bitten off as Venom only but at air where Peter’s head had once been. But Venom’s tendrils had cut right through him and were skewered into the ground as the very things holding Peter up.

Everyone froze. Even Wade’s heart froze up in his chest and the cold out spread from there like a fast-moving virus.

The spell was broken when Peter took his first strangled breath. The sound of it gurgled in his throat.  

His baby boy was already breathing blood.

Wade fell to Peter’s side while everyone around him started to yell.

Wade jammed his arm into Venom’s jaws to keep it from biting Peter and he pulled at it with all of his strength to get the monster off of his baby boy.

_Oh God, his baby boy was…_

Others joined Wade in pulling but he didn’t know who because he only had eyes for his baby boy.

And all that blood coming out of him.

{Too much.}

Vision phased his hand into the wall and then ripped out what must have been a huge power line. The lights in the hall went out for a second and then flickered back on. The android commanded, “Let go of him.”

Wade glared at him, daring him to repeat himself as the others hastily let go. Vision nodded to him and then pushed the end of the broken cord into Venom’s struggling form.

Venom screeched. Wade screamed. Vision gritted his teeth.

And his baby boy’s eyes just widened in surprise…and then focused on Wade as they returned to normal size…and then kept closing.

Despite his spasming muscles, Wade let go of Venom and reached out to Peter. He grasped Peter’s face and begged, “ _Baby_ _boy_.”

[Everyone we love always dies!] the voice lamented.

Venom was dripping off Peter like water, revealing countless punctures and red, _red_ blood. The edges of Wade’s vision darkened as his heart stopped but he resolutely refused to lose consciousness.

Brock was yelling and struggling against the hold of the SHIELD agents that had jumped on him. He fell in their hold but continued to reach out to the pooled Venom with clawed hands.

Wanda scrambled to her feet with a pale parlor, gasping apologies and raised her hands to perform her magic but her entire body jerked as her eyes focused on something behind Wade. Raising her hands defensively she whispered, “ _Bruce_ –.”

“Everyone retreat!” Steve commanded.

Wade’s spine tingled with fear when he heard the frighteningly familiar huff of an angered Hulk. He collected Peter close to him as he turned and saw Dr. Banner had indeed changed and had focused its vicious green eyes on the now frozen Brock. The Hulk was huffing like an angry gorilla and the hall behind him emptied of SHIELD agents as they scrambled to escape the dangerous being.

The angered Avenger roared and then leapt in the direction of Brock.

Wade flinched back, pulling Peter protectively into the conclave of his chest. Wanda, however, threw up her hands and put up a pink shield between their half of the hall and the Hulk. It turned red upon Hulk’s impact and Wanda fell to one knee from the strong hit.

Vision’s grip slipped on the powerline as he jerked in the young woman’s direction and the current stopped flowing through Wade and Peter.

But also _Venom_.

The black mass began to bubble and Wade clutched Peter close to his chest and tried to scoot away as he gasped, “Oh, fuck me with a cactus.”

The mass rose and Venom’s face appeared with a hiss. It leaned toward Wade and Peter with a growl and Wade hit a wall and couldn’t possibly pull Peter any closer to himself.

“No!” The sudden exclamation took all of them by surprise and Wade turned to Brock. He was still reaching out to Venom and he gasped, “Come back to me. _I need you_.”

The symbiote glanced at Wade and then turned back to Brock. It didn’t take long to make its decision. The SHIELD agents yelled in startled exclamation as the symbiote jumped onto their detainee. Venom took form wrapped around Brock and then easily knocked aside the agents and hissed at the gathered superheroes.

Wanda slumped when Hulk hit the shield a second time and the shield fell between the two powerhouses. Venom’s vengeful gaze was drawn away from him and Peter to the incredible Hulk and it shrieked at him. The Hulk roared back and launched himself at the symbiote. Everyone jumped or ducked out of the way but the collision shook Wade down to his very bone marrow. They broke down a wall and the fight was dragged away from them. Wade cautiously uncurled himself from around Peter, his heart pounding wildly from his pumping adrenaline.

He looked down at Peter and felt his heart drop when he saw his eyes were closed. Wade lightly stroked the side of Peter’s face and urged, “ _Baby boy_? Baby boy, open your eyes.”

Steve rushed over to them and crouched beside Wade, gasping, “How is he??”

Wade couldn’t reply because Peter wasn’t reacting.

{We’re too late.}

“ _No_ ,” Wade argued with the voice and Peter’s inaction. “No, open your eyes, _Peter_!”

“Oh, my God,” Steve gasped in a broken voice, falling to his knees.

He tapped Peter’s cheek a little harder and he gasped in a pitiful voice, “ _Please_.”

He was so pale and Wade pressed down on Peter’s wounds in an attempt to stop the blood. He turned to Wanda, about to yell at her to use her damn magic already when he saw… _her_.

She was standing in front of him, right in the middle of the hall. Only Wade saw her. Only Wade _could_ see her. Wade is probably the only person living to know what she looked like.

Death tilted her head to the side and her skull grinned at him in its forever smile as she said, “Hello again, Wade.”

Wade kicked himself and Peter away from the black cloaked figure and gasped, “ _No_!”

“Wilson?” Vision questioned his sudden fear, unable to see her despite her standing in front of him.

Wade had lost count of the number of times he’d found himself in her embrace but was forced to leave time and time again because of his mutation. There were times Wade had yearned to see her but, by God, today was not that day.

“I won’t let you have him!”

“ _Wade_?!” Steve hissed.

She glided over to them and crooned, “Oh, my precious, inaccessible soul…you should have died so many times today and you only notice me now?”

“I gladly trade my life for his if I could,” Wade gasped. “Please, don’t take him.”

“You found another love,” she whispered, hovering over them. Too close. If she touched Peter…he wound his arms around Peter, trying to protect him.

“He…He’s not just my love. He’s – _God_ – baby, he’s…he’s my _sanity_. I can’t imagine this world without him. I would physically be alive but I wouldn’t be able to live on...”

“I would never wish such an existence on you, my love,” she whispered. “But you are the only enigma of this plane…your love is mortal and will die.”

“Not today,” Wade said resolutely.

“He will…”

Wade’s tears fell freely, thinking he was going to have to watch her take Peter from him with no way to stop her. She picked up Wade’s hand and all feeling left it as her touch leeched the life out of it. She pressed Wade’s hand over one of the wounds on Peter’s upper chest, careful not to touch the younger man.

“But,” she whispered. “I won’t have to until the faraway future if you address his internal and external bleeding.”

“Wade…”

Peter’s voice was just a quiet whisper but Wade jolted as if he was electrocuted again. For a second, he assumed it was Peter’s ghost whispering to him and Death had succeeded in taking him. His entire soul broke at the thought. He could feel his insides crumbling and tears blurred his eyes.

But then he looked down at his precious baby boy and saw his eyes were open by tiny slits. He could barely make out the hazel of their coloring but he could tell Peter was looking at him.

He was still alive. Wade choked back a laugh and forwent hugging Peter to apply pressure on his wounds instead. Steve gasped and helped him apply pressure to Peter’s wounds.

Death caressed Wade’s cheek and felt his flesh grow cold and stiff. As soon as her boney touch left however warmth returned. She sighed heavily, clearly disheartened and crooned, “I was not here for your love but _you_ , my lost soul…But, once again, you elude me…” She fully cupped his face and he felt his entire side grow numb. She removed her hand and the feeling rushed back. She sighed, sounding disappointed and then stated, “Nonetheless, you need to find your lover help or I will take him into my embrace instead.”

 Wade wildly nodded his head and picked Peter up as Death faded away. Turning to the remaining Avengers, he shakily asked, “Wh-Where do I take him?”

 Tears were running down Steve’s face too but he was smiling at Peter. He shakily got to his feet and Vision assisted him part of the way. Steve gasped, “We have a trauma center set up. It – It’s this way.”

Steve led the way, picking up his pace as he walked and Wade was right behind him. Vision helped Wanda up and they too follow Steve.

Peter nestled his head into Wade’s chest and lightly sighed, “I hate aliens…”

Wade snorted but bent down and kissed Peter squarely on the forehead.

“Me too, baby boy,” Wade murmured fondly. “Me too…”

\----

Peter had felt like death incarnate after his big fight with Electro.

But now he felt three times as worse.

Wade had taken him to the med team and they quickly put Peter under and that pain went away for a little. In its place, was a timeless darkness where time had no meaning.

When the darkness was beginning to fade, Peter slowly settled back into himself and began to note the passage of time.

He was in a bed and stiff bandages covered his body. As his consciousness returned, so did the aches from barely muffled pain meds doing their job. He shifted, trying to dispel the ache but it didn’t work.

“You look uglier than me.”

His lips twitched into a small smile and he cracked open his eyes to see Wade hovering over him. Wade smiled widely as Peter cracked open his eyes and he gently cupped Peter’s face.

“Always such a romantic,” Peter croaked, his throat felt dry and his voice had to be pushed out with a lot of effort.

Wade chuckled wetly and lightly caressed Peter’s cheekbone with his thumb. Wade whispered, “Hi, baby boy…”

“Hi,” Peter’s voice still broke but this time it was from a combination of being dry and overwhelmed with emotion as he stared into Wades beautiful blue eyes. He muttered, “Do I really look bad?”

“Like a rotted potato that just barely made it through the grinders,” Wade replied without missing a beat.

“Stop,” Peter whispered. His smile grew larger but the light chuckle that ran through him was painful. Peter grinned through it all and roughly teased, “You’re making me blush…”

“Peter…” Wade sighed heavily. He must have noted Peter’s pain and he cupped Peter’s face with both hands. He looked at him with sad eyes and whispered, “You’re badly injured…That was too close…” His thumbs traced along Peter’s cheekbones and then he bent down to press his forehead to Peter’s. He breathlessly continued, “Oh, Peter…What can I do for you, baby boy? I wish I could share my mutation with you...How can I make you heal faster like this? I hate to see you hurting…My baby boy should be lounging on a plush unicorn being hand fed chilled grapes…not in some SHIELD regulated hospital bed looking more dead than alive…”

Peter closed his eyes and took comfort in Wade’s nearness. He lightly nuzzled his face against Wade’s and whispered, “Feels mighty comfy here…”

“Those are the drugs talking,” Wade grumbled, pressing his face back into Peter’s.

“Mighty good drugs then,” Peter replied. He picked up his head and lightly pecked Wade’s lips and then flirted, “Are you a part of my prescription?”

Wade’s mouth twitched into a semblance of a smirk and he retorted, “It’s a lifetime prescription…”

“I think I’m already growing an addiction,” Peter whispered before lightly kissing Wade again.

Wade’s fingers tightened slightly into Peter’s flesh and he returned the kiss with a tiny, needy noise. His kiss was everything Peter remembered it to be. Peter felt all of Wade’s love and concern pour over into their linked lips. Wade’s lips were tender when pressing into his and his tongue gentle when caressing just the inside of his lips, like going any deeper might hurt Peter further…but he didn’t stop kissing him. He peppered kisses over his mouth like every kiss was stolen and precious and then he began to whisper, “I love you – I love you so much, Peter – I love you, Peter – _I_ _love_ _you_ – I love you –.”

Peter didn’t know Wade had started to cry until he cracked open his eyes and saw Wade’s eyes were edged with tears. He wrapped his arms around the back of Wade’s neck and whispered, “Wade…” Wade blinked open those big, beautiful, blue eyes that Peter loved so much. A tear escaped Wade’s right eye but he made no move to stop it falling down his cheek. It hurt Peter to see his boyfriend so distressed but he was like this because he almost lost Peter. Peter couldn’t imagine what’d he do if Wade’s mutation suddenly stopped working when he had a mortal wound. It’d…It’d probably destroy Peter. He shouldered so many deaths his parents, Uncle Ben, Gwen…but Wade…

If he lost Wade, Peter couldn’t imagine ever finding love again, because Wade was it. He was the love of Peter’s life and he wouldn’t trade him for anything. Peter had trusted his fragile heart to Wade and he knew it would now only survive in Wade’s hold…and Peter would not have it any other way.

Peter stopped the tear rolling down Wade’s cheek with a gentle wipe of his finger and whispered, “I love you too, Wade Wilson.

Wade’s lip wobbled and then he threw himself at Peter, embracing him tightly. Peter’s sore body protested the handling but Peter’s full heart won out and he embraced his lover with all he had in him.

“Hem hem.”

Peter let go of Wade and looked to his right, where the new sound came from.

“I may have neglected to mention you have a roommate…” Wade chuckled as he slipped out of Peter’s arms and sat on the edge of his bed. He kept his hands on Peter’s hands and Peter unconsciously intertwined their fingers.

They were in the Avenger’s infirmary, with enough beds for the entire team, and the bed beside his contained his father. Tony also looked pretty banged up and he too had Steve sitting by his side. Peter’s parents were both smiling at Peter with glistening eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light from their joy.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt but it seemed like you two were entering some pretty personal territory there,” Tony murmured, his voice also sounded harsh but it was not as bad as Peter’s.

Peter felt his emotions swell again as he looked at both of the men. Venom had tried to kill both of them and Peter had been forced to watch both men bleed for him.

“ _Dad_ … _Pops_ …” Peter gasped, his eyes overfilling again. Tony sat up as Steve rounded the bed and, in moments, his stepfather’s arms were around Peter.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Steve professed, burying his face into Peter’s neck. Peter once again ignored his body’s aches and wound his arms around Steve’s large frame to return the much needed embrace.

“Hey, don’t forget me,” Tony whined from his bed. Peter and Steve broke apart and he saw his dad was reaching out to him. Peter reached out too and clasped his father’s hand and, even though they were merely holding hands, Peter took comfort in its warm, calloused grip. Steve was alive, Wade was alive, his fathers were alive, _Peter_ was alive…they’d all survived.

“Had…had Venom hurt anyone else? Where is it? Did we already throw the last of it in the sun?” Peter remembered most of it but he had to be sure no one else was hurt and the monster he and Eddie had created was gone for good.

His parents traded uneasy glances and Wade squeezed his hand.

“…Venom hasn’t been destroyed,” Steve cautiously stated.

All the elation and safety Peter felt since waking disappeared and was replaced with an uneasy fear. He demanded, “Where is it? Where you guys waiting for me to wake before throwing it into the sun because I don’t care about seeing it happen…I just want it gone…”

More uneasy glances and Peter’s apprehension rose.

“What?” Peter gasped, his imagination coming up with multitudes of horrifying scenarios.

“Venom has been taken into custody with Eddie Brock,” Steve explained.

\---

Eddie sat at the metal table rocking back and forth as he stared at the agent in front of him. Under his skin, he could feel Venom moving and making their bond stronger with every passing second.

They were trying to figure out what to do with him. He and Venom could no longer be separated. The symbiote was a part of him now. It had given up on Peter and had finally accepted him.

The agents were suffering under the moral dilemma of Eddie’s innocence coupled with the weight of Venom’s danger. What were they going to do with him?

He was sore from being pounded by the Hulk but had survived the usually fatal ordeal only because of the symbiote. His newfound strength made the agents uneasy.

“Your civilian life is over,” the man opposite him had stated gravely.

Eddie nodded. He knew he’d never live a normal life with Venom but he was not willing to go back to his pitiful life as boring, weak Eddie Brock.

“There are very few solutions with what to do with you,” the man continued and Eddie perked up. Wait…they had multiple ideas already? Venom moved uneasily underneath his skin.

None of them could be good. They knew he purposely infected Peter with Venom, they had the video evidence from the birthday party. It was one of the things they overviewed with him. SHIELD may not be owned by Stark but he had a lot of sway in the organization and he was probably none too happy what Eddie had done to his son.

Unlike with Peter, these agents had no qualm with hurting Eddie. Eddie couldn’t use the tricks to escape like Venom had done with the threat to Peter’s life. Eddie was insignificant.

What did they have planned for him?

\---

Tony woke with a hiss. His nightmare had him sitting upright and looking to his son.

Peter was fine. He was back to sleeping and Wade was resting beside him, sitting in an armchair beside Peter’s bed. His head was nestled in the crossing of his arms on the bed and Peter’s hand rested on top of one of his biceps.

Tony lightly sighed in relief and settled back onto his pillows.

“It’s strange to remember you used to sneer when they were close like that,” Steve whispered. Tony turned to see his husband was leaning back in a chair beside his bed with some reports sitting on his lap. Steve straightened and put the reports down beside him as Tony turned to him.

“Another lifetime,” Tony murmured, brushing off his old feelings. He was grateful to Wade now. The man was good for Peter.

Steve smiled warmly at Tony but then leaned forward and lightly grasped his hand as he whispered seriously, “Why’d you wake so suddenly? Was it a bad dream or are you in pain?”

“M’Fine, just a bad dream…”

“You’ve been having a lot of those,” Steve murmured with concern. He scooted his chair closer and reached out to run his fingers along Tony’s jaw. “You’ve been getting sleep only a few hours at a time…We can talk to your doctor about getting you something –.”

“No,” Tony said and shook his head. “You know I don’t like to take things to help me sleep. They always make me groggy for too long.”

“Not sleeping is not good for your recovery,” Steve countered stubbornly. He pouted at Tony, trying to look serious, but all Tony wanted to do was kiss those pursed lips.

“Babe, I’ve had nightmares before. I’ll get over these like the others.”

Steve’s lips pinched more and he looked down as he grasped Tony’s hand and whispered, “I wish there’s more I could do for you…”

Tony’s eyes beheld the many scars that still littered Steve’s body from when he tried to save Peter. Steve probably thought his nightmares were just about Peter, but he was so wrong. It still made him ill with anxiety to think back to that moment he rounded the corner and he saw Wade hunched over Steve’s bloody, unmoving form.

Tony grasped Steve’s hand tightly and whispered, “Kiss me.”

Steve quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

“Remind my body that all is fine. That we are safe…and that the other half of its soul is alive and I’m sure my nightmares will go away quicker.”

He saw the understanding dawn in Steve’s eyes and the super soldier wordlessly got out of his chair and slid into the bed beside him. Tony moved to give him more room and Steve molded into him. He lay his head on Steve’s arm with a heavy sigh and Steve wrapped his other arm around his torso with a chuckle. Their eyes met and they obliterated what little distance there was between them and kissed.

It felt like ages since he last kissed Steve in bed. The normalcy from it felt near orgasmic and he moaned into Steve’s mouth. He pressed his mouth harder into the other’s, wanting more but Steve broke it with a smirk. He whispered, “Your son and probable future son-in-law are in the room right now, Honey.”

“Always talking dirty,” Tony sighed heavily. He snuggled deeper into Steve’s chest as all his anxiety melted away in the warmth of his husband’s embrace. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I think I can sleep again…”

“Go ahead, Tony,” Steve whispered, carding his fingers through Tony’s hair in a soothing manner that drew Tony deeper into unconsciousness. Steve lightly kissed his forehead and promised, “I’ll stay here and try to keep those nightmares at bay…”

Tony drifted to sleep, lulled by Steve’s steady pulse.

Sadly, Steve could only help Tony with his nightmares.

“ _NOOO_!”

Tony’s heart nearly seized with the unearthly scream that woke him. He and Steve jolted and sat up sharply together.

In the other bed, Peter and flinging his limbs wildly and Wade was holding him to try to keep him from hurting himself.

“It’s me, babe, you’re safe,” Wade gasped, trying to calm Peter down.

Steve quickly crossed the room and embraced Peter as he sunk into Wade’s arms. Peter held both men with a white-knuckled grip and gasped for breath as he fought back tears. Tony felt his own eyes burn for his son. He wanted to jump out of the bed and hold him to show him how much he loved him and how sorry he was for all of this but his stupid body was still too hurt to move.

Peter picked up his head and met Tony’s eyes and he reached out to Tony as he gasped in a broken voice, “ _Dad_ …”

Tony reached out to him and tightly grasped his hand. He swore to his son, “You’re going to be fine. We all survived and that monster won’t touch you _ever_ again.”

Peter nodded but the tears still flowed and he buried his face into Wade’s chest. Wade adjusted his hold to accommodate him, but he looked crushed and on the verge of tears himself.

Tony felt frustrated. SHIELD was being tight-lipped about Brock so Tony could not really reassure his son he was completely safe.

Peter quickly calmed down in their presence. He unwound his arms from around the other two and let go of Tony as he embarrassedly murmured, “Sorry…”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Steve assured Peter. He stepped back to give the younger man some space but squeezed his shoulder one last time.

Wade continued to lean into Peter’s side but looked like he wanted to embrace him and never let go…it mirrored Tony’s own feelings.

“I-I just dreamed that I hadn’t gotten away,” Peter quietly explained. He tried to discreetly wipe his face and Tony clenched his fists tighter. Peter lifted his gaze and smiled reassuringly at all of them. He murmured, “Thanks guys…I’m fine now.”

“You sure?” Wade murmured.

“As well as one can be still recovering from several stab wounds…” Peter retorted dryly. He looked to Tony and teased, “Next year, I think we’ll forgo the alien abduction for my birthday, sound good?”

Tony snorted but wholeheartedly agreed, “Yes, that sounds like a plan.”

Tony glanced at his husband and saw Steve smiling warmly at him and Tony knew he was thinking the same thing he was…They’d all had survived. They all were going to experience another of Peter’s birthdays. Life seemed better with that knowledge. He’d been taking it for granted until he nearly lost it all.

Tony silently swore to himself that would never take it for granted again.

“What is there to eat around here?” Peter murmured, settling back into his bed. Wade held onto his hand as he settled and returned to his seat without breaking the connection. He had started smiling when Peter joked and teased Tony and that smile seemed glued to his face now.

Steve returned to Tony’s side but replied to Peter, “We can whip up whatever you’d like or raid a pantry for a quick bite.”

“Rather have something quick and unhealthy,” Peter murmured.

“We’ve got a pantry right down the hall,” Steve murmured.

Steve went to get up but Wade stood and hastily said, “Doc said you shouldn’t be moving too much, Steve. I’ll get it! I’m getting something unhealthy for Peter but what do you want, Steve? Stark?”

Tony winced a little and stated, “I think the first thing you can do for me is to start using my name. Call me Tony, Wade.”

Wade seemed a little taken aback and his face twitched a few times like he had a hard time settling on a feature. Finally, the big guy shyly grinned and murmured, “Okay, Sta – T-Tony.”

“And Wade, as for unhealthy things, I like hot Cheetos,” Tony said, grinning at Wade’s stunned expression.

“Cheetos, got it,” Wade said in quiet voice, still shocked. He shuffled out of the room and Steve chuckled lightly. Peter, meanwhile, looked from his boyfriend’s retreating form and then to Tony, smiling like it was Christmas.

“I would hug you if I probably wasn’t going to pop some stitches and bleed out just from standing…” Peter stated as soon as Wade was out of the room. Tony looked to his son and saw he was smiling just as brightly as Wade had been. Peter asked in a husky voice, “Did you mean it?”

It was a loaded question filled with so many layers of emotion that Tony felt his chest tighten from the weight of it.

Mainly, he saw Peter’s very heart in it and he was asking Tony not to break it again.

But he also saw Peter wanting to know if Tony’s comment was _genuine_. And he wanted to know that his boyfriend and father could coexist and maybe even like each other. He wanted to know that what he thought impossible was now possible…but mostly, he must’ve wanted to know if this was really happening.

Tony smiled warmly at his son and murmured, “I’m happy for you two, Peter. Wade clearly cares for you…sorry for being such a jerk about it in the beginning…”

“ _You were such a jerk_ ,” Peter gasped and rubbed his eyes with a widening smile.

“I can’t say sorry enough,” Tony said with a cringe. “I thought I was doing right by you.”

“You overthink things a lot,” Peter grumbled. “And you did so with Wade but times ten.”

“Hear, hear,” Steve agreed. He lightly squeezed Tony’s hand and smiled teasingly at him.

“Okay, I was a colossal jerk,” Tony stated in defeat. In a serious tone, he reminded him, “I am still so very sorry…”

“You’re not a jerk, Dad. You…You just want to be there for me as a ‘dad’ but it can be a little stifling at times. There are some days I do appreciate it. You’re my dad and I didn’t get to have the whole father-son experience growing up…I had Richard and then Uncle Ben but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t _you_. But there are other times, like with Wade, in which your Dad-Radar narrows too much on somethings…and I’m not the only one you should be apologizing to…” Peter replied gently. Tony nodded in understanding.

Wade came back into the room carrying an armful of various chip bags. They all turned to him and he said, “I couldn’t decide so I got a sampling of everything.”

Peter snorted and murmured, “Thanks, babe.”

Wade pooled all the snacks onto the foot of Peter’s bed and plucked a red-orange bag from the pile. “H-Here’s your selection, T-Tony, sir…sir.”

He tossed Tony the bag and it practically landed in his hands.

“Just Tony is fine,” Tony assured the nervous man. “Thank you, Wade…” Peter rose his eyebrows and Tony hastily continued, “And also…I’d like to apologize…for everything. I was a real jerk to you and it was all without merit…”

To Tony’s surprise, Wade’s cheeks flushed a bright red. He awkwardly replied, “It – um – it’s cool – I mean – thank you? Uh…” He flushed brighter and murmured, “Th-Thank you, Tony…”

Tony grinned, happy to hear his name on Wade’s lips. Tony leaned back into his bed and said, “Good. Now that we’re officially on a first name basis, we can discuss the merits for having me as your father-in-law.”

“D-Dad?!” Peter gasped, his face turning bright red at Tony’s suggestion. Tony grinned teasingly at his son whereas Steve laughed and leaned heavily into Tony’s side.

Wade, meanwhile, squealed excitedly and sat beside Peter with a huge grin as he held one of his hands again. When Peter’s eyes were drawn to his, Wade smiled warmly at Peter and his loving gaze portrayed just what Tony alluded to…Wade loved his son and was probably going to spend the rest of his life by his side.

And Tony wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the epilogue! Thank you everyone who has been reading! The journey is almost over! :)


	18. Epilogue: Saturday, December 9th, 2017

“Tell me, does it feel surreal? After living in the Avenger’s Tower for over a year, do you think you’ve adjusted yet?” Sophie, the TV host asked with an excited smile.

Peter could collectively feel the studio audience and the half a dozen camera’s focus on him and he felt a slight pull of apprehension deep in his gut. He’d done several interviews already, but he didn’t think he’d ever grow used to this endless interest in him…

Peter leaned back into his seat with a friendly smile and replied, “I don’t think it will ever _not_ feel surreal. As a kid, like everyone else my age, I had imagined joining the Avengers and now I’m living with them. Sometimes it feels like I am in a dream. Especially if Vision suddenly phases through a wall or Steve lifts a large piece of furniture without any effort. But, at the same time, they’re my family. I love them and being with them doesn’t feel surreal…until Bruce Hulks out.”

There was a collective chuckle around the studio and it eased some of Peter’s nerves.

“Still, you are a graduate student living with superheroes. That must disrupt some of your study time.”

“More than you can imagine,” Peter groaned as he thought of his nightly patrols as Spidey and there was a louder chuckle this time from the audience.

Sophie’s grin widened a fraction for a second with the audience’s reaction and then she pushed, “Tell us about your life! What’s it like to be the son of Iron Man and Captain America? Or…do you want to confirm those rumors floating around about you and Deadpool?” She asked the last question coyly and wiggled her eyebrows to make the question sound more tantalizing. The audience ooed as if on cue and some giggled like it was a dirty secret.

If it wasn’t for the coaching from his dad, Peter would have flushed at the insinuation, but he merely raised an eyebrow and retorted, “And what rumors would those be?”

The interviewer scoffed, “A lot of people noticed the mercenary turned a 180 in the last year and it all started when you were kidnapped by that alien.”

Peter’s muscles tightened a fraction at the mention of Venom but he forced himself to relax and replied, “Wade saved my life. It’s a fact and I would be happy to clear up any rumors that state otherwise.”

“Ever since then Deadpool has been seen around the Tower and helping the Avengers a lot. Additionally, he’s all but stopped his work as a mercenary and those rumors say it is because of you. That, whenever you two are seen at a function together, you’re very _close_.”

“Are these people spreading these ‘rumors’ about me and Wade the same ones who think I’m a clone of my dad?” Peter asked sarcastically, and the audience laughed as if on cue. He still had his eyebrow raised and was staring pointedly at Sophie. Before coming to the program, their media teams got together and complied an outline of the show. Peter had known all the questions she was going to throw at him and she was going to know the answers. It was practically scripted and these questions about Wade were not a part of it. They were going to talk about what Christmas and Thanksgiving were like with the Avengers. That was supposed to be it.

He agreed to do these interviews…but he expressively stated to his team that he did not want to lie about Wade. He’d eluded reporters’ questions before, but he never outright said that he was not in a romantic relationship with him. Wade still wanted it to be a private affair and Peter did not want to be accidental cause of their outing.

Sophie stubbornly persisted, “In all seriousness, the rumors about you and De –.”

“Did you say rumor?”

The audience leapt to their feet and cheered as his father came on stage. Peter smiled gratefully at Tony as he sauntered on stage. He wasn’t scripted to come on but, since Sophie decided to go off script, his dad thankfully decided to make the intrusion. He was dressed for comfort more than for an interview so a calico cat was plainly on the shirt underneath his blazer. Peter could practically hear Pepper groaning already.

Tony fell onto the couch beside Peter and said, “I deny all the rumors. I did not fly into that building. It was all CGI and photoshop. You can ask Steve. He’d vouch for me. Steve!”

Tony waved to his husband off stage and Steve answered the beckoning a moment later with an amused smile. The audience leapt to their feet again and applauded even louder at Steve’s appearance. He waved joyfully to them and then sat beside Tony on the couch, squishing Tony between him and Peter. Steve automatically put his arm behind him on the couch and Tony leaned into him like they were at home and not being watched live by millions.

Steve went on like nothing was amiss and replied to Tony’s statement, saying, “He’s lying. The rumors are true. He once crashed into the side of the building because he was too busy playing minesweeper.”

Tony pushed himself back from Steve and gasped, “I told you that in trust! How could you?!”

The audience ate up their banter and Peter smiled happily at his parents as they teased each other. Sophie was forced to return to the topic of life with the Avengers and they finished the segment within the hour.

When the crew called cut, the lights dimmed and the smile dropped from Tony’s face. With a cool glare, Tony murmured under his breath, “You and your studio will never get an interview with Peter, anyone operating under Stark Industries, or the Avengers ever again.”

Sophie paled and did not get up as Peter, Tony, and Steve did. With a louder voice, Tony thanked Sophie for having them and then grabbed both Peter and Steve by the arms and dragged them over to the audience members who stayed behind. Tony and Steve signed autographs and even Peter signed a few items until the last of the audience melted away.

The small family left quickly, no longer feeling as welcome in the studio as the initially did and it was only when they were in the privacy of their car did Tony say, “I’m sorry she put you in the spotlight like that…”

“There’s no need to apologize, Dad,” Peter replied with a small sigh. “You did great by saving my neck though…Thank you – _both_ of you,” Peter said looking at both of his parents.

“Always happy to tease my husband,” Steve said, smiling crookedly at Tony.

Tony snorted, “You get off on it.”

“Your honeymoon isn’t coming soon enough,” Peter sighed. After being married for over a year the two decided they were ready to finally go. They were waiting until January which was statistically the slowest month for the Avengers for some reason. Peter hypothesized it was because villains’ New-Year’s Resolution must be to be good and they only last the month before they go back to their old ways…

Tony sighed happily and murmured, “I’m already counting down the days to crystal clear waters and white sand beaches…”

Steve wound his arm around Tony and agreed, “It’ll be nice to finally have a vacation…”

Peter smiled warmly at the men as they shared a private moment, imagining their honeymoon. He aspired to have the relationship they shared and he and Wade created something very similar. In the years to come, he could easily envision himself sinking into Wade’s arms and being happy from just imagining spending time with him and only him. Wade wasn’t just the love of his life. He was his best friend.

Maybe one day they’d come out with a surprise wedding too.

Peter smiled to himself at the thought and only a slight blush gave away what he was thinking about.

It was still years away. Peter was probably going to get his doctorate first and Wade was still establishing his new identity in the superhero community.

But it was no longer a matter of “if” in Peter’s mind…It was only a matter of “when.”

Peter’s Spidey Sense suddenly flared and Happy slammed on the breaks, swearing loudly as the car whiplashed. Peter immediately stuck his fingers to the upholstery to keep inertia from throwing him forward. His parents, meanwhile, had no way to fight the force and were flung toward the front of the car. Steve grabbed Tony and wrapped himself around the more fragile man and muffled the impact with his body.

“Wha–What the hell?” Tony gasped. “Is everyone alright? Peter? Happy?”

Peter breathlessly nodded and Happy gasped, “I think so…”

“What happened?” Steve asked, uncurling from around Tony.

“I don’t know,” Happy gasped, his fingers white on the steering wheel. “It felt like one of the front wheels caught on something…” 

“Maybe we slipped on the ice? Did we hit anyone?” Tony gasped, scrabbling up to look out Happy’s window.

Peter’s Spidey Sense was still tingling, making Peter’s hair stand on edge, and he murmured, “Guys…I don’t think –.”

The car was jerked back and Peter was the only one who managed to stay up right since he was still sticking to the seat. His Spidey Sense was fueling his adrenaline and his heart was racing in his chest. The car was wrenched in two and icy cold air stole his breath. Peter suddenly found himself alone. He heard his father yell out to him but all he could see was the glowing red eyes of a poorly constructed robot that held up his half of the car. 

Peter instantly began to shiver in the freezing temperatures. 

Snow was falling gently but steadily and settled on the robot. It tilted its head to the side and some of the flakes slid off. It murmured, “Hello, brother.”

“Shit,” Peter cursed, finally recognizing its voice and now noticing a familiarity to its build. It was fucking Ultron.

Other versions of the robot were crawling over his parents’ half of the car. Steve pushed Tony behind him and then punched out one of the robots. Tony wouldn’t be able to join in the fight because the suit he had in this car was underneath the seat Peter was sitting on.

Ultron dropped the mangled car and caught Peter before he fell too. The robot's hold felt colder than the snow melting against Peter's skin.

“I’m sorry to drop in uninvited but I am in need of Vibranium and _you_ …well, you seem like the perfect bargaining chip…Seeing as we’re family, I thought you wouldn’t mind helping your little brother.”

“I’m not– _your_ brother,” Peter hissed as he struggled to break free of the robot’s grip.

“We share the same father silly,” Ultron chided. “But wow, feel that big boy strength! You’re no normal human! Feels like you somehow got a little of Steve in you too. Did you eat all of your greens when you were growing up or get some vita-rays nutrients like Stevie instead?” Ultron asked, making fun of Peter's attempt to break free of his hold.

They rose into the air and the boosters on the robot’s feet blasted with more power. The air thinned and the speed was too much for Peter, knocking him out before he could even guess where the android was taking him.

\---

When Peter came to, he was bound with bent and broken steel beams and couldn’t move an inch. They were in an empty warehouse and it was bitterly cold. 

Ultron was lightly humming "Let it Go" from _Frozen_ to himself as he was hunched over another copy of himself, connecting its wires.

“I thought the Avengers defeated you,” Peter grumbled.

“And I thought I was an only child,” Ultron retorted sarcastically. It raised its red gaze to Peter and stated, “It matters not…because, when I get my Vibranium , the only thing that survives my wrath will be metal. You, our father, and the rest of the Avengers will –.”

“- be the next singing sensation?”

Ultron jolted upright while Peter chuckled to himself.

Peter turned to his boyfriend and said, “I guess you didn’t wait for the rest of the team and rushed ahead instead of listening to Steve’s plan.”

“It’s not every day my baby boy is a damsel in distress,” Wade retorted smartly.

“I’m not a damsel,” Peter countered.

“But, you are in distress,” Wade pointed out.

“Do you think –,” Ultron hissed.

“I didn’t even get it to reveal its dastardly plan,” Peter grumbled. Ultron clenched its fists and stepped away from whatever it was working on to fully turn its attention on them.

“I wouldn’t have wa–,” Ultron growled.

“Ultron hijacked the media networks so everyone already heard his dastardly plan. And basically, the entire world knows you’re a damsel in distress now,” Wade teased.

Peter groaned and said, “Please, say you’re joking…”

“I can say it, but it wouldn’t make it true,” Wade replied.

“ENOUGH!” Ultron yelled, “I AM NO MERE THREAT! I AM ULTRON! I –!”

“Whoa whoa whoa, Ultra-Tampons, chill,” Wade said, coolly stepping between Peter and Ultron. “Me and my baby boy are madly in love and need to have contact every five hours or one of us will throw a tantrum. Probably me…and you’ve had him for over ten hours. I am going to start stomping my feet soon!”

“Babe…” Peter sighed.

Ultron threw itself at Wade and slammed him into the wall. Wade grunted and Ultron wrapped its fingers around his throat. Ultron hissed, “I am no joke. I know you cannot die but I can snap your ‘baby boy’ like a twig. You…You…” Ultron’s voice dwindled as Wade lifted a square shaped remote. The robot demanded, “What is that?”

“Stark s-says he doesn’t do re-reboots,” Wade gasped from his strangled throat and then pressed a button. A wave of blue light pulsed out of the object and, as soon as it hit Ultron, it crumbled. The wave traveled through the entire room and the other bots fell and anything electronic in the area also shut down.

“You couldn’t have used that as soon as you came in?” Peter grumbled.

“The hero has to do a one-liner before defeating the villain! It’s Hero 101, Pete, looks like you need to brush up on your hero training.”

Peter snorted and Wade hopped over the remains of Ultron and tugged at the metal warped around him.

“This looks like a job for Super-Pop,” Wade said after a few tugs.

“…Or I can help?”

Both Peter and Wade froze and Peter’s heart began to beat wildly again. Wade slowly turned around and Peter looked past him to see the new figure enter the room.

He recognized the voice but…but he was still shocked to see Eddie step into the light.

He was wearing black tactical gear and had muck on his legs like he’d been running through the sewers. Peter eyed the black gear, knowing it was Venom. The Avengers had been keeping a close eye on Brock and, when the SHIELD doctors failed to separate them, he’d been sent to the super-human prison facility, the Vault, and kept him locked up until Eddie gained control over the symbiote. He’d been out since October and under FBI monitoring and supposedly helping them with their investigations…

Wade drew one of his kantanas and the sonic gun from his belt and pointed both at Eddie. He warned, “Not any closer, Dr. Jekyll.”

Eddie smiled sadly and replied, “Mr. Hyde is under control.”

“Yeah, and the Hulk likes pink tutus,” Wade scoffed.

“What are you doing here?”

“…You probably heard…after my time in the Vault, I was recruited by the FBI. I use my abilities to help them in their investigations and the kidnapping of Peter Parker just became their top case,” Eddie replied. “And… Venom is still able to sense you so...I just followed the pull…”

Peter shivered, not liking this information at all.

“Okay, he’s found. You can get lost,” Wade snidely stated.

Eddie bit down on his lip with a conflicted expression and then said, “I just…I just wanted to apologize for everything on behalf of me and…and Venom.”

“You’re joking,” Peter gasped.

“When I was serving my time, I didn’t just sit idly. I worked with a doctor and spoke with people about my problems. I was messed up when we created Venom. My girlfriend was talking about leaving me…my dad had just disowned me…I could barely afford to live on what I was making…my life seemed like it was falling apart and – and Venom was the only good thing in it. I became manic about it, which was partly Venom’s influence, but I shouldn’t have let it hurt you in order to get what I wanted…”

“It didn’t just hurt me. It nearly _killed_ me, my parents, and tried as hard as hell to kill Wade despite his abilities…” Peter hissed, gripping the bars around him tightly.

Eddie nodded sadly and whispered, “I know you may never forgive either of us but…but I have control of Venom now, thanks to the doctors at the Vault. I can help people now…and, if you’ll let me, I can help you.”

“The rest of the Avengers will be here in a few minutes and I don’t think Iron Man or Captain America would like to see you breathing the same air as their son nonetheless within arm’s length of him. Just go, Brock,” Wade snapped. “Peter will be out soon. We don’t need your help.”

Eddie nodded though looked sad and turned to leaved. Peter felt conflicted from being justly angry with him for what he did but also sad because he knew Venom’s pull. He knew how strong it had been to break free with the support of his loved ones. He couldn’t imagine doing it alone.

And Eddie looked so very alone as he walked away.

“Eddie,” Peter murmured and Eddie turned back around. “I accept your apology.”

Eddie stopped and Peter could just barely see the slight smirk hidden by his shoulder. Eddie whispered, “Thanks Parker…Smell ya later?”

“Right back at you, Brock,” Peter retorted automatically. Eddie nodded and left them with higher shoulders.

Wade didn’t drop his defensive stance until Eddie disappeared into the darkness and then he holstered his weapons and turned back to Peter.

He worriedly cupped Peter’s face and asked, “You okay, baby boy? Ultron hurt you? Venom spook you?”

“I-I’m fine,” Peter stuttered as his heartbeat returned to normal. “Just wasn’t expecting to see him…”

Wade pulled off his mask and lightly kissed Peter’s forehead. He pressed his forehead against Peter’s and hazel eyes met blue.

“You had me worried there for a bit,” Wade admitted.

“I’m okay now,” Peter assured his boyfriend.

Wade hmmed something indiscernible and leaned into Peter, nuzzling his face against Peter’s the best he could. They stood like that until the rest of the Avengers arrived.

Steve didn’t have to break the bars as Vision merely had to reach through and then pull Peter through like he was nothing more than a ghost.

Both Steve and Tony pulled him into their arms simultaneously and knocked the air out of his chest. He instantly felt warm in his parents' embrace. They worriedly looked him over and Peter did the same of him.

“Jeez, kid,” Tony finally gasped. “You shaved three years off my life.”

“Ultron was rather boring compared to most,” Peter joked.

Tony dryly said, “Yeah, I made that little surprise if he or something like him ever happened to show up again…” Tony ran his hand through Peter’s hair and whispered, “I’m glad I did…”

“Are you alright, Peter?” Steve murmured worriedly, placing his hand on the other side of Peter’s head.

Peter smiled warmly at his stepfather and replied, “Yeah, Pops, I’m alright.”

“Stop hogging, Peter, it’s my turn,” Wade whined and squeezed between the press of his parents’ bodies. Steve and Tony laughed as Wade pulled Peter into his arms and properly nuzzled his face into the side of Peter’s neck. Any cold that had lingered in his bones totally disappeared when Wade was able to properly hold him. Peter sank into his arms and Wade whispered to Peter, “Let’s go home…”

Peter relaxed into Wade’s hold and agreed, “Yes, let’s go.”

They flew back in a quinjet. Wade didn’t let go of him even when they were sitting down. Peter leaned into Wade’s side as his parents relayed what had happened since he last saw them. Mostly it was the media freaking out and replaying the interview he’d done that morning nonstop.

“Pepper wants you to give them a quick address just to calm them down,” Tony said.

“I’ll do it in a couple hours. I just want to lay down for a bit before I have to deal with them again,” Peter sighed.

“No problem,” Tony said with a knowing grin.

Wade hummed thoughtfully to himself and got a distant look in his eyes. Peter pressed his head onto Wade’s shoulder and asked, “What’s up, babe?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Wade murmured noncommittally. He smiled warmly at Peter and gave Peter’s shoulders a squeeze as he said, “I was just thinking of the snuggle time I’ll be getting with my baby boy.”

“Snuggle time is the best time,” Peter agreed with a small sigh. He settled back into Wade and Wade wound his other arm around his front, so he was completely wrapped around Peter. Peter sighed contently as he relaxed into Wade’s hold. He woke up to such an embrace every morning. Wade had gotten into the habit of wrapping himself around Peter every night and Peter couldn’t sleep well without the tangle of his limbs now. Feeling them around him now brought a wave of fulfilment through him.

No matter where he ended up... whether it was in Ultron’s clutches or at the Tower… _This_ is where he belonged. Here with Wade and in his arms.

Peter tilted his head up and whispered to Wade alone, “I love you.”

Wade’s lips quirked into a small smile and he turned his head to whisper in Peter’s ear, “I love you too, baby boy, now and forever…”

\---

As Peter took a hot shower, Wade went onto Peter’s tablet and pulled up the storage app where he and Peter saved all their photos. He swiped through them and each photo drew him back in time as he remembered each instance. There were birthdays, holidays, or just lazy days.

Wade was trying to pick a favorite…but he just couldn’t. He loved all of them.

Peter stepped out of the bathroom in a clean pair of boxer briefs and was rubbing at his head with his towel. Wade leaned back into the bed and wolf whistled as soon as he came into the room. Peter smirked and strolled over to Wade as he asked, “Do you think this will become a thing? Like once a year a super villain has to kidnap Peter Parker or they’ll be kicked out of villain club?”

Wade snorted and replied, “I think Peter Parker has been surprised by one too many times and if a super villain tries this again, he or she will be very surprised when Tony Stark’s supposedly normal son turned out to be a little stronger than most.”

Peter grinned wickedly and crawled onto the bed and onto Wade’s lap. He murmured, “ _Little_ stronger?”

Wade put down the tablet and ran his hands over Peter’s muscles and corrected himself, “Little? Did I say that about my tarantula sized dick Spidey?”

Peter curled over as he laughed and Wade watched it with a warm smile. Bringing joy to Peter put an ease in his heart that he didn’t know he needed until he feel in love with him. Peter’s laughter dwindled away and he cupped Wade’s face as he whispered, “As always, my prince, you are such a romantic…”

“I try,” Wade replied with a shrug, grinning up at Peter.

Peter continued to smile at him but Wade swore he could see Peter’s eyes glow with more love at his words. Peter leaned in and Wade met him halfway to share a kiss that was as strong with love as he had seen in Peter’s gaze.

Peter shifted his legs to bring himself closer to Wade but he knocked over the tablet as he did and it began to slide off the bed. With quicker reflexes that Wade could only dream to achieve, Peter broke their kiss and caught the fragile device before it would shatter on the hardwood of the floor.

When his thumb touched the screen, it lit up with the last image Wade had been looking at: It had been from Valentine’s Day, when Wade had bought a ridiculous amount of roses and chocolate. The picture itself was a selfie Wade took of both of them wearing the rose crowns Wade had made himself. He’d just put them on the both of them so the picture was able to capture Peter laughing with flushed cheeks and tears glistening the corners of his eyes.

Peter chuckled when he saw the screen and murmured, “I can still smell roses in the sheets sometimes.”

“Mmmm, I can still smell it in your skin,” Wade replied huskily as he pressed his face into Peter’s neck.

Peter hummed agreeably and his breath hitched a bit when Wade lightly bit down on the tenderest part of his neck.

Peter tipped his head back and Wade greedily accepted the wordless invitation to love on Peter’s neck some more. Peter melted into his arms as he trailed tiny bites down his neck. Peter wound his arms around the back of Wade’s neck and whispered, “Why was that picture up? Are you already conspiring for the next Valentine’s Day?”

Wade chuckled and nipped at Peter’s chin, chiding, “ _No_.” Suddenly, nervous he mumbled, “I…I was just trying to decide on a favorite…”

He hadn’t really thought how to bring this up or go about doing it…when Peter was kidnapped and his fate unknown, so many different fears ran through him but the strongest had been regret. There would’ve been so much they hadn’t done yet. He didn’t want to miss out on any of it. So, on the plane ride back, he resolved to erase some of those regrets by the end of the night.

Which was why he had been looking for a good picture of them…he wanted to present it to Peter when he – well, he…

Wade cleared his throat and sat back to put a little room between him and Peter.

Peter looked a little confused by the move, even one of Wade’s voices was whining about wanting to get to third base.

But Wade had a resolution and he meant to keep it.

“So – _hem_ – I was looking for a photo,” Wade began with the easiest and most obvious statement. He felt his cheeks begin to heat. “A ph-photo for…”

Peter saw the flush too and, when Wade didn’t immediately continue, he said, “You were looking for a photo…for?”

Wade flushed more and Peter smiled teasingly at him. Peter sat down, putting his full weight on Wade’s lap and he wound both arms around the back of Wade’s neck. He murmured, “Let me guess…You wanted to frame one? We should put up some pictures of us in my room at least…”

Wade turned his head to the side and lightly kissed one of Peter’s arms, murmuring, “No, not that…”

“Okay, okay, you’re blushing, it’s something a little more embarrassing… Hmm….were you looking for a picture to put in a locket?” Peter teased and wiggled his rear into Wade’s lap to further torment Wade physically.

Wade groaned and dug his fingers into Peter’s back as he breathlessly replied, “ _No_.”

“Then I’m at a loss…” Peter sighed.

With his heart in his throat, Wade stated, “I…I…When Ultron had you…All I could think about was us and how I never did the one thing you wanted practically since the beginning of our relationship…”

Peter’s brows pursed tightly together in confusion and he sarcastically replied, “Access to the ISS Science Labs?”

Wade smiled, loving the nerd showing in his baby boy even at this moment, and he whispered, “No, remember the night of your birthday, the night before Venom…” Peter’s smile shrunk a little and he nodded. Wade continued, “You brought up coming out…to the world… and we decided to wait…” Wade felt Peter tense beneath him as his words were finally making sense to him.

Peter blinked a few times and then breathlessly guessed, “You’re ready?”

“I was just looking for a good photo for your Instagram,” Wade bashfully murmured.

Peter’s face broke into a huge and happy smile. He let out an excited yip and pushed a hug upon Wade that was strong enough to knock him over. They laughed and Peter pressed smiling kisses onto Wade’s mouth, making their teeth click more than their lips meet.

Peter quickly picked up the tablet and snuggled into Wade’s side. He chided, “You should have told me what you were planning sooner, meanie! We need to choose one together! I’ll pull up my favorites! Peter opened a separate file and it opened up to pictures of them or just of Wade. There were a few others of the team or his parents but most of the pictures involved Wade. Wade flushed happily and settled into his boyfriend’s side as Peter excitedly pointed out his favorite pictures of them together.

They finally settled on one where they hadn’t even been looking at the camera. Steve had taken it with both of them unaware when they’d been sitting off to the side at an Avenger’s barbeque. Peter was sitting between Wade’s legs and had one arm wrapped around Wade’s shoulders. They had only eyes for each other and were both laughing. There was no questioning the love between them as their faces hid nothing.

“Damn, we look good,” Wade murmured.

“Maybe we should hold off…pass this by Pepper or let you sleep on it,” Peter murmured nervously.

He had his Instagram open and Wade glanced at the page. Peter had millions of followers and even had the official blue check marking him as a genuine celebrity. Peter still loved taking pictures and posted them online all the time. This would be the first time Wade would be making an appearance on the page.

Wade assured his boyfriend, “It’s alright. I’m ready, Peter.”

Peter bit down on his lip and murmured, “Are you sure?”

Wade stared lovingly into those hazel eyes and ran his fingers through his soft hair. He stated with complete conviction and all the love he could muster, “I have never been more sure of something in my entire life…”

Peter’s eyes sparkled and replied with as much conviction, “Me too…” He looked back down at his phone and murmured, “What should I write?”

“Hashtag tacos,” Wade suggested.

Peter snorted and elbowed him in his side. He said, “Seriously, Wade! I’m am not going to come out with the only word being a tag to tacos!”

“We’d be trending on the taco thread,” Wade pointed out with a grin. “I bet we’d even be in the top post section for the taco tag for the rest of Instagram’s existence.”

“A glorious accomplishment,” Peter snorted sarcastically as he leaned back into Wade’s arms. Wade folded his arms back around his lover with a happy sigh.

“I want a tag to describe us, something more than Taco Tuesday, there are six more days to the week you know?”

“A national tragedy…” Wade sighed.

Peter chuckled and murmured, “I know what to put.”

Peter sat up and faced Wade with a teasing smile so he wouldn’t see what Peter wrote.

Peter typed up something quickly and stated, “Done. No turning back.”

He locked his phone and tossed it on the bed beside him. Wade pouted, “What did you write?”

“Guess,” Peter teased.

“Hashtag Tacos?”

“Haha, no,” Peter laughed.

Wade crawled over to him and whined, “Whattt??”

“Keep guessing,” Peter purred, laying back on the bed so Wade could crawl over him.

“Just tell me!” Wade retorted, tickling the younger man to get him to submit. Peter squirmed and laughed as he tried to escape Wade’s nimble fingers. He made the mistake of letting Wade trap him from above, there was no escape now.

“Okay! I give up!” Peter gasped. Smirking in a self-satisfied way, Wade landed on the bed beside Peter and Peter picked up his phone. His breathing was shallow as he was still trying to catch it, but he wordlessly opened his phone and turned it to Wade so he could see the post. It was only a few minutes old but it already had several thousand likes.

Peter had written:

_He makes me laugh and I know it’s #truelove_

Wade blushed bright red and he looked up to see Peter was just as red. It was so right and personal and Wade probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to post it. Wade smiled at Peter and sing-songed, “You lurv me~!”

“So much,” Peter replied seriously with a smile that rivaled Wade’s in its ability to get any bigger. He leaned in and kissed Wade deeply. Wade drew his arms around Peter again, feeling at home. All his nerves and fears evaporated as Peter’s love surrounded him.

They both got so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t even think of what was going on outside of their own personal heaven until there was a knock on the door a few minutes later followed by Tony saying, “Would either of you care to explain why Pepper is ranting about Instagram and I’m getting emails from practically ALL of the major news stations on the planet??”

Peter chuckled into Wade’s mouth and whispered, “Ready to go out there?”

Wade stared into Peter’s eyes that were so filled with love and adoration and all of that was directed at Wade and Wade alone. Wade’s heart tightened overwhelmed by the amount of love he felt toward the man in his arms.

He and Peter were going to spend the rest of their lives laughing together and loving each other…it was the perfect, happy life he never thought he’d get…and now he had it with Peter.

With a tight throat, and all the love in his heart, Wade replied, “With you? I’d go anywhere…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND it's finally done! Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! :)


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